When Life Turns Upside Down
by Corona 1
Summary: Movieverse Lyn Xanders, a paramedic in Mission City, has her life turned on its head one fateful morning on her way to work. Rated T for violence. RatchetXOC some OOCness in some chapters. RnR, please? rating subject to change.
1. not such an ordinary day

Hi everyone! It's been a while since my last fanfic. I've been suffering from writer's block lately. Anyway, I've had this idea in my mind for some time and it won't leave me alone, so I decided to go with it. It's pretty OC centric. Perhaps my character will fall for someone? You'll have to read and find out. :)

Please read and review! And while I'm on that subject, if anyone has any ideas for a sequel/prequel for my other fanfic "Family Treason", please let me know. I want to go somewhere with it, but at present, I lack any ideas. Thanks guys! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, just my character and this plot. Wish I did own them though, imagine how much fun I could have?

* * *

The day started out as normal. Get up, get changed into uniform, get breakfast, get to the Hospital and begin shift on the ambulances. Or so Lyn Xanders figured before she got to Mission City Hospital. Like some others in Mission City, she knew what had happened only three months prior. She, like others, wasn't going to be persuaded by the government that it was a terrorist attack. For pity's sake, she had seen at least one of them! She sighed as she sat on the bus, watching everything go past. Since that day, life seemed so boring. It had been the same old routine; get up, get breakfast, come into the hospital, start shift on the ambulances, go home, get dinner, stay up for a little, go to bed and then get up and do the same thing again the next morning. Of course she loved her job, she wouldn't change it for the world, she just wished for something more…exciting, she supposed. She was quickly, and rather violently, brought form her reverie when the bus lurched forwards. At first, she thought that someone must've run out into the middle of the road, causing the bus driver to pull harshly to a stop. That thought was quickly dismissed when people started screaming and running past the bus. One quick look out of the window gave her the answer she wished she'd never wanted to know- a giant robot was causing havoc down the street.

"Oh my God!" she cried. People were dismounting as fast as they could, trying to run from the impending danger. Lyn was one of the last, and just in time, as the bus exploded behind her, the force throwing her and several others to the ground. Shaking her head to clear the fog in front of her eyes, she got up and, instinctively, looked around at the carnage, searching for the wounded who needed her help. There was one young woman next to her, screaming in agony. One quick scan told Lyn that she was suffering from second degree burns, along with many lacerations.

"It's ok, I'm here. My name's Lyn Xanders. I'm a paramedic. Can you walk?" she asked the woman. The woman, who was now sobbing, simply nodded her head. Lyn helped her to her feet, trying her best to be gentle, but also quick; she could hear the robot's dark laughter behind them. She only managed to get the woman a few metres when another explosion blew them both forwards another few feet. The woman Lyn had been helping was lying unconscious a few metres away, blood pouring profusely from a gash on her head. Lyn hissed in pain as she tried to get to the woman again. From the pain in her back and along the backs of her arms and legs, she could tell that she was suffering from cuts and bruises, and possibly a few burns. She reached up slowly to her head, feeling something warm and wet run down her fingers. _Great, just what I need,_ she thought. Suddenly, she was grabbed viciously from behind. She screamed at the top of her voice, only to be shaken into silence.

"Be quiet, flesh creature!" the robot ordered harshly, his gravelly, dark voice instantly telling her that she was not in a good situation. That was, before she heard another from in front of them.

"Put the human down, Barricade!"

* * *

So, what do you think so far? I know it's short, and no Autobot action yet. It will get better, promise!

Please R and R and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism welcome, please no flames. :)


	2. rescue and race to base

Hey guys! Here's the second instalment! Wow, 5 reviews already! I hope I can live up to the standard. Thanks to everyone for their brilliant reviews. You know who you are. Just to recap, Lyn Xanders is in the merciless hands of Barricade, when someone comes to her rescue. Who is it? What does Barricade want with the human? Is it just a case of wrong place, wrong time? Is her rescuer the mech she'll fall for, or is there someone else? Why am I asking so many questions when I'm the one writing the story! Sigh. Ok guys, here we go. And remember to keep those reviews coming in!

Disclaimer: didn't own them last chappie, why would I own them this one?

_Thinking_

"Speaking"

: Comming:

* * *

"Put the human down, Barricade!" a voice ordered. The robot called Barricade simply cackled, tightening his already suffocating grip on Lyn, causing her to gasp and cry out. By now, Lyn was becoming drowsy and faint, suffering from the shock of the situation, not to mention her injuries. She wasn't the type to panic, usually being called on when there was an extreme situation because she could keep her cool, but by this point she was thinking of only the worst. She heard the robot in front of her growl in annoyance when Barricade didn't comply.

"You're stuck, Autobot. You can't do anything while I have this human. You won't dare try anything because you're afraid of how the consequences will affect this member of the pathetic race. You can't touch me!" Barricade cackled. After this point, Lyn's battered and injured body gave up and she fell into unconsciousness.

Ratchet growled deeply when he saw the human's body go limp in the police pursuit vehicle's hand. The fringe of her long auburn hair was sticking to her forehead from the blood. Barricade just cackled. By now, the area around them had been evacuated, leaving the Autobot and the Decepticon alone with the female. Ratchet knew that he wouldn't be able to strike, not while the slagger still had hold of the young woman. _If only I could distract him somehow._ Almost as if on cue, the sound of car engines came into hearing range. Barricade turned to where the sound was coming from, only to have two Lamborghini's ram into his legs, making him topple. He let go of the unconscious Lyn, who went flying through the air. Ratchet leapt forwards, catching the human before she hit the ground. The Lamborghinis transformed into their bipedal forms. Barricade overcame his shock momentarily, standing and glaring at the three Autobots.

"For once, I'm happy to see you two."

"Hey Doc. Thought you could use some help…"

"…and we were in the neighbourhood." As soon as Ratchet placed the human carefully on the ground, all three Autobots drew their weapons and simultaneously began firing on the pursuit vehicle. Realising that he was outnumbered and outgunned, Barricade forced his injured chassis to transform, trying to make a run at the unconscious paramedic. He never made it to her, as Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Ratchet instantly fired on him again. He finally gave up and sped off.

"All right! Yeah, you keep runnin' Decepti-creep!" Sideswipe hollered after the retreating pursuit vehicle. He and his brother exchanged high fives. Ratchet, on the other hand, had activated his holoform and was checking the young woman they had just saved. A quick scan told him that she was suffering from second degree burns and mostly minor lacerations, nothing that wouldn't heal up on their own with the appropriate help. But what was worrying him was the fact that she was suffering from two cracked ribs and a nasty gash on her forehead.

"We need to get help to her as soon as possible. She'll probably suffer from concussion, judging by the bang to the head she's suffered." In his holoform, Ratchet turned to the twins.

"Can't we just take her back to the base?" Sideswipe asked.

"Yeah, I mean who knows what that creep wants with her," Sunstreaker added. Ratchet thought on it for a moment. The human needed help and she needed it soon. Her broken ribs were already beginning to impede her normal breathing pattern. He sighed, deactivating his holoform and began transforming. Once he had finished, he opened his back doors.

"Put her inside. I'll radio through to Prime. For once, I think you two maybe right. It may have seemed like he picked her at random because she was there, but something about this just doesn't feel right." Sideswipe and Sunstreaker exchanged grins and activated their own holoforms. Carefully, they picked up the human and carried her over to Ratchet. Once again, he activated his own 'human self' and helped them get her onto the stretcher inside. That done, they immediately returned to their robot bodies, Ratchet closing his back doors and the twins transforming. Lights flashing and siren whirring, Ratchet sped off towards the base, the twins following closely behind.

: You're right, Ratchet. It's not in Barricade's nature to attack completely at random, especially not in such a highly populated area.: Prime said over the personal intercom. Ratchet had told him about what had happened. Apparently it had been a good job that Prime had dispatched the twins to find out where the CMO was.

: So, I'm to take that as a 'bring her back to the base and keep her there?': he asked, a little hesitation in his voice.

: Affirmative. See you back in base soon. Optimus out.: Ratchet sighed slightly. They already had two humans under their guard, Sam Witwicky and Mikaela Banes, and they didn't need another one. He performed a scan on the human, finding that her vital signs had dropped slightly. He cursed under his breath, pushing his engines to the limit and driving as fast as he could to their newly constructed base under the Hoover Dam.

: Hey, Ratch! What's up?: Sideswipe asked over the com link.

: The human is getting weaker. I need to get her back to the med bay as soon as possible:

It didn't take long to get to the base after that. Ratchet was still in his alt mode when he finally screeched to a halt in the med bay. Activating his holoform, he pulled the stretcher out of the back and laid it on the floor, with the twins' help. After that was done, the holoform disappeared and he transformed, gently picking the human up and placing her on the operating table in the middle of the bay. Once that was done, he gathered the necessary equipment out of the bay and from his subspace pocket, activated his holoform once again and began to work on the human.

* * *

There you are. That's the second instalment. Told you it would be longer! LoL! Please read and review. Who do you want Lyn to fall for? And why is Barricade after her? Shall I make it simply wrong place wrong time kind of thing, or shall I make it something more? Send answers on a postcard….no wait, hang on, that's not right. Sorry. Send your requests/suggestions etc through in your reviews please! Thanks guys!


	3. Cannons and flustered introductions

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the great reviews and suggestions. A couple have asked for the pairing to be with Sideswipe, or at least a bit of flirting between them. We'll see. I've tried to add a little humour into this one to try and lighten the stress of the situation, that and the plot bunnies kept bugging me all day with it. I had to put it down before they got mad at me. :P

Thanks again guys, keep the reviews a-comin'!

Disclaimer: Wish I did, but sadly it is not to be.

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

* * *

Two hours. Two whole hours it had taken Ratchet to finally get the human stabilized. She was still unconscious, and the CMO had a feeling that she would be for a while. His holoform sighed; pulling a blanket he had taken out of subspace over her, making sure she was comfortable. With a gentle hand, he brushed some of her fringe out of the way, trying to get a better look at the gash on her head. Thankfully it had stopped bleeding. All he needed to do was clean it and attach steristrips to it in order to close the wound, aiding the healing process. What he wasn't ready for was the slight moan from his patient. Pulling his hand away quickly, he looked down to the unconscious female on the table. Her eyes were fluttering about under her eyelids, showing that she was dreaming. He sighed in relief. The medic really didn't want to have to explain what she was doing in a base full of giant robots under the Hoover Dam at the moment. _I'm getting too old for this_. It didn't take him long to finish patching the female's head up. He was about to make sure that she was comfortable again when the med bay doors suddenly crashed open.

"Ratchet!" The medic growled, returning to his robot body and turning on the mech who had just invaded his personal area.

"Slag it Ironhide! What are you doing in here! Can't you see that I'm busy enough as it is?" the CMO hollered. The Weapons Specialist didn't seem to take any notice of the tone, already seething enough.

"Those slaggin' pit spawned twins have done it again! Look at my cannons!" He rotated the cylinders out, thrusting them towards the medic. If it had been another mech, they would have already backed away. They all knew what Ironhide was like when he was in this mood, and with the dreaded cannons out no less. Ratchet simply looked at them and found he couldn't help himself. He curled up in fits of laughter. For all over Ironhide's favoured weapons were pictures of cute little unicorns and pixies.

"H-how the slag did they manage that!" he said, unable to contain himself. Ironhide growled, annoyed at the fact that a) the twins had the audacity to draw on his precious cannons and b) that Ratchet, of all mechs, actually found it hilarious!

"I don't care. But when I get my hands on them, you'll be putting them back together for weeks. Now, for the love of Primus, get these things OFF me!" It was more of an order than a plea. Ratchet, still laughing, pointed over to another berth by the wall. He performed a quick scan on the human, now that he was beginning to compose himself. Surprisingly, Lyn hadn't woken up during the ruckus. _Either she is completely out of consciousness, or she is extremely tired. Possibly both._ Finally getting a hold of himself, the CMO began removing the pictures from the Weapons Specialist's most prized possessions. _Well, he will recharge with them out_, he thought. _At least this might teach him otherwise. _He would have to congratulate the twins later when he saw them; they might have saved him the trouble of having to fix the blasted things every morning because of Ironhide laying on them in recharge. And he never thought he would hear himself say that.

"Who's the human?" Ironhide asked suddenly. Ratchet looked over the woman he had saved.

"She had a run in with Barricade," he explained, as if that was all that was needed. Ironhide simply grunted and nodded slightly, not really in the mood to actually want to know about humans in the med bay. "Now will you please hold still, or I'll just leave these things on your fragging cannons."

"You slaggin' well won't!" Ironhide thundered. Ratchet merely smirked. _Gets him every time_.

"There, it's all off. Now, would you kindly leave my med bay in peace?" he asked. The black mech was still seething, even with his cannons spotless.

"Thanks, Ratch. You just keep a look out for those pit-spawns coming in, piece by smoking piece." With that, and one last look at the sleeping female on the table, he stormed out of the med bay. The CMO shook his head. He was so glad that he wasn't Sunstreaker or Sideswipe at the moment. He hoped that they were actually able to keep a low profile, not for their sakes, but for the sake of his sanity.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It had been about half an hour since the trigger-happy Weapons Specialist had burst into the med bay. While Ratchet was busy working on a project of some sort, it dawned on him that it had become quiet outside of the bay…almost too quiet. Perhaps the twins were out on a scout? He certainly hoped so. After all the human had been through that day, he wanted her to be left alone to rest properly. A small groan brought him out of his reverie at the computer. Looking over to the table, he saw that the human was waking up. He braced himself for the impending audio-circuitry ripping screams and shrieks that always seemed to follow them on this planet, and other biological planets for that matter. Slowly, he stood from his work desk and approached the table. She didn't seem to have noticed him yet, which he counted as a very small blessing. After all, the human had only just woken up. While she was scanning her surroundings, he took the chance to scan her properly. The brace he had placed around her chest was impeding her movement somewhat, but at least it stopped her moving too much. The bandages covering her arms and legs, as well as her back, didn't look right on her. In fact, if it wasn't for her now bloodied, charred and dirtied white uniform, he would have almost assumed that they matched her pale skin. Her once perfect high ponytail was now in rat's tails, with bits of deep auburn hair hanging out. He knew she was one of the paramedics from Mission City Hospital; after all, he did offer his help there now that they were accepted by the Government. _Have to keep busy somehow, _he always thought. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the feeling of someone watching him. _Uh- oh. _He looked up, his electric blue optics meeting her bright green eyes. _Time to speak._

"Er, hi there," he began, deciding to try and keep the initial meeting as informal as he could. He never quite finished as the human promptly fainted. Ratchet slapped his forehead. _This is going to be fun. _

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lyn came round a lot quicker than she had expected. _It was only a dream, it was only a dream. I wasn't hurt by a huge robot causing havoc near the hospital, there wasn't another one who came to save my life, I didn't just wake up and see said robot stood opposite me, it was all just a really weird dream. I'm back in my bed, the alarm hasn't gone off yet, I'll be going to the hospital today, working on the ambulances as usual. Normal day. It was just a dream, that's all it was. Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Lyn. _She opened her eyes again, looking around. But she wasn't in her room, she wasn't in her bed, she was in exactly the same place that she had been when she woke up the first time round. _Oh no._ What if that robot had kidnapped her and taken her hostage? What if she was going to be some sort of an experiment, like she'd seen in the movies? _Calm down Lyn, there's a logical explanation for this; you just haven't found it yet._ She took a deep breath, and immediately regretted it as white hot pain flashed through her sighed. She cried out, clutching her side, feeling the telltale seam of the brace she had placed on so many other patients; ok, so maybe not this exact one, but one like it.

"You shouldn't be moving around with your ribs in the condition they are. I'll give you some painkillers for that." There was a small pause, in which Lyn had closed her eyes again, mentally telling herself to wake up. "You're not going to faint again, are you?" she heard a voice ask over her. Opening her eyes again, she looked up into the same blue optics. This time, she couldn't help herself. She screamed as loud and as hard as her broken ribs would allow her. The robot visibly jumped backwards, clutching what she assumed to be its ears. Her scream echoed throughout the room, and possibly throughout the base. When she finally gave up screaming (it hurt her ribs far too much) Ratchet was more or less standing over the other side of the cavernous room. Slowly and cautiously, Ratchet removed his hands from his audio receptors. They were still ringing.

"Human, you certainly do have a strong set of lungs on you," he growled, rubbing at his audios while performing quick scans on them. He stood up straight and looked over to her. At first, Lyn whimpered and tried to move back, but the pain in her side stopped her from going too far. He sighed.

"Look, human, I'm not going to hurt you. I just saved your life…" Even through her obvious fear, being called 'human' all of the time seemed to have an unexpected effect.

"Hey! I have a name you know!" she yelled. Then, in a quieter voice, she added "It's Lyn. Lyn Xanders."

"And I'm called Ratchet, Chief Medical Officer for the Autobots."

* * *

Ok guys, that's the third instalment. Personally, I don't really like it that much, but I can't think of how to improve it. Tell me what you think. As always, constructive criticism is welcome. Please no flames? This is the first type of fic I've done. I usually just right it all out, but I've never really had the confidence to post them. I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far. Thanks for your support guys, I appreciate it. : )


	4. Proper introductions

Hurrah for chapter four! Sorry I took so long, I've been battling with writer's block for the past few days. I just didn't know what to write and how to go about these next few chapters. Just to forewarn you, this next chapter(s) may be a little inactive, as I'll be more or less introducing my OC to the other characters. Thanks to everyone for the great reviews! I've had a few suggestions. I'm really glad that you're all enjoying my work!

Disclaimer: been there done that, said it over and over again. I do not, repeat NOT own Transformers. Hasbro and Takara do, as well Michael Bay. (Wish I did, though. If only I could have Ratchet and the Twins. Only those and I'd be happy. :) )

* * *

Lyn stared at the robot in front of her. Neither of them had made a move, obviously not wanting to upset the other. If he wanted to hurt her, he would've by now, right? After all, he did save her from that psychotic one who had almost squished her (what was his name?) Barricade. She relaxed slightly, hissing at the pain in her side.

"S-so, Ratchet, right?" Lyn said after a while of heavy uneasy silence.

"And Lyn Xanders?" She nodded. They fell into silence again. What do you say to a member of a completely different race? Different species even? Apart from the obvious. There was a sudden crashing sound as the med bay doors were slammed open, and at least five or six robots came bounding in.

"Where's the danger?" "Who screamed?" "What's goin' on?" They all asked at once.

"There are more of you!" Lyn screeched. They all turned towards the human, who seemed to shrink under their stares. One particular black mech burst into the room, cannons out, pointing them straight at the human. And that was it. One look at those huge cannons pointing straight at her was enough to throw her over the edge again. She fainted.

(A moment before)

Six of the new Autobots were in the Rec room when their chatter was interrupted by a high pitched scream coming from the direction of the med bay. The room became deadly silent before the thundering of metal feet sound throughout the room, as they all ran towards the origin of the sound. A couple of them had their weapons out, expecting danger. They burst in to find an injured brown haired fair skinned human on one of the tables and Ratchet a few feet away. When she screeched, some turned to her. And of course, not one to turn his back on a potential fight, and bored of hunting the ever elusive twins, Ironhide charged in, cannons at the ready. He knew that the human was in there. What he wasn't expecting was for said human to faint at the sight of him. A couple of the mechs started laughing, until Ironhide and Ratchet shot them death stares. Ratchet sighed, exasperated. It had been too long a day, and it was only the afternoon. The assembled mechs didn't seem to notice his irritation, busy pondering the appearance of the new human. Until one of the last strands of his dwindling patience finally snapped.

"Right! Everyone, out!"

"Aw, c'mon doc. We only just got in here."

"I don't care, Hot Rod. I've only just managed to get her calmed down. And then you frag heads come barging in here and scare her into a faint again! Out! The lot of you!" He pointed towards the door. The ones who had more sense immediately left. Ratchet was getting annoyed, and an annoyed Ratchet, especially one stood near his tools was not one that you wanted to be in the same room with. Hot Rod and Ironhide stayed behind, Hot Rod mainly because he wanted to meet her and Ironhide because he was too stubborn to just leave. Ratchet had his back turned to them while he inspected Lyn, oblivious to his remaining audience. He very nearly screamed in frustration when he turned and they were still there. Scooping out his favourite 'throwing' wrench from subspace, he made the very gesture that they all feared, even the trigger-happy weapons specialist. He raised it above his head, taking aim. That was all the two mechs needed, as they immediately vacated the bay, tripping over their own feet. Ratchet huffed and laid wrench down, leant against the table and pinched the bridge of his nose. A groan caught his attention. Looking down, he saw Lyn finally coming to. He expected her to scream again, but when she didn't, he visibly relaxed. She didn't try to sit up this time, knowing full well that she would only cause herself more problems. She just looked up at him, curiousness and maybe a tiny hint of fear in her eyes.

"So, you're not going to scream again, huh?" he asked, rougher than he had wanted. The human didn't seem to take any notice.

"Well, I guess not. Not now that I've seen you, anyway. You just scared me, that's all. I suppose that's what comes from almost being squished by a giant robot that you know isn't from your planet." Ratchet chuckled slightly.

"I see what you mean. And I have to apologise for those slag heads who came barging in here just now. Especially Ironhide. He's a bit of a trigger happy mech. You'll get used to him." Lyn smiled. She seemed to think about something for a moment.

"And, thank you." Ratchet looked to her, confusion flashing slightly in optics.

"For what?"

"For saving my life." Ratchet brushed it away with a hand.

"Don't worry about it. It's more or less business as usual." Lyn laughed, until she began coughing.

"Oh, don't make me laugh! It hurts!" All of a sudden, a man appeared in front of her. He was about a head taller than she was, with short brown hair that was slightly messed up. He was slim in build, slightly muscular and wore a uniform not too different from her own. Not that she really noticed. What caught her attention were his eyes. The deep, yet bright blue eyes of his that seemed to hold her gaze. She gulped slightly as he came towards her, until she saw the painkillers in his hand. She reached out and took them from him, her fingers slightly brushing his.

"Th-thanks, whoever you are." The man laughed.

"It's me." Lyn froze. The voice sounded like…

"What! But…how?" she exclaimed.

"Holoform. It's like a hologram, only it's more solid. Hard light, if you will." He was suddenly holding a glass of water for her. She reached up, took the glass and began to drink from it, popping the pills in her mouth before flooding it again with the fluid. The painkillers took effect almost as soon as she swallowed. Ratchet smiled before his holoform suddenly disappeared. Lyn blinked several times before simply shaking her head.

"Weird." Ratchet chuckled.

"So, paramedic, huh?" he asked. Lyn looked up.

"How'd you guess?" she asked, slightly confused. The CMO seemed to think about it.

"Well, your uniform kind of gives it away." Lyn looked down.

"Oh yeah… Huh? Oh no! I've just had this cleaned from the last casualty! I don't have the time to get a new one!" she wailed. She suddenly froze. Wasn't she on ambulance shift today? "Damn it!" she yelled, her eyes screwing up in disbelief.

"What?" Ratchet asked, looking slightly confused.

"Damn, damn, damn, DAMN! My boss is going to kill me for this! I was supposed to be on shift today! I haven't called in or anything! And somehow I don't think he's going to believe that I was attacked by a giant robot that appeared out of nowhere." Ratchet merely shook his head. Humans. They seemed to worry about everything at once, even those who saved lives. Not that he could blame them; some of his own race was exactly the same.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get in touch with them right away."

"Huh? Don't tell me…you know the guys at MCH?"

"Well, some of them. I work there myself sometimes, though I'm mainly on patrol, calling in casualties and helping out where I can." Lyn was about to ask how when she remembered that he had a holoform. She was about to ask something when the doors slammed opened and two mechs charged inside. The force made her jump in surprise, wincing at the pain the sudden movement caused.

"Ratch! Hide us, quick! He's gonna kill us!" the red one shouted as he leapt behind one of the berths.

"He's already scratched my paint and chinked my enamel! I can't have any more damage!" the yellow one added with a whine, following the first, never making it to cover in time. Very shortly afterwards, said 'he' ran in, growling, cannons fully charged. Lyn recognised him immediately.

"Get back here you two pit spawns!" he shouted, leaping for the yellow mech, who quite easily dodged out of the way. Ratchet just looked on in sheer disbelief, while the paramedic was just wondering what the hell was going on.

"C'mon, 'Hide! You gotta admit, they were pretty cute."

"Some of my best artwork yet!" Ironhide simply growled, before leaping at the red one who had just came out from behind the berth. Sideswipe jumped behind it again, unable to hide the snicker. Ratchet sighed, clamping his hand over his optics again until a crash caught his attention. Not really wanting to look, dreading what he would find if he did, the medic lifted a finger that was obscuring one optic and glanced at the scene before him. The twins had just run into each other in their attempts to escape the irate weapons specialist, stunning themselves. Ironhide couldn't help but crease up laughing. His patience finally snapped.

"Alright! That's enough! Out! Out! OUT! I do not want you wrecking my med bay again like you did last time! Do you know how long it took me to get everything back to the way it was? And besides, we have a guest!" All optics fell onto the human on the table, argument forgotten for the moment. The red mech was the first to speak.

"Hey, you're awake! Cool!" Lyn smiled sheepishly. The black mech (what was his name?) Ironhide, simply grunted.

"Erm, hi," Lyn stammered slightly. The red mech seemed to, literally, jump to her side.

"Name's Sideswipe. Please to meet you…erm,"

"Lyn. Lyn Xanders."

"Good to meet you, Lyn Xanders." The yellow one stepped forward and stood next to, she assumed, his brother. Not only that, but his twin. That struck her as strange; after all, who would have thought that robots could have families? Then again, why not? They were alien after all.

"Name's Sunstreaker. Unfortunately, I'm not looking my best because someone had the idea to prank our resident Weapons Specialist, which ended up with me getting my paintjob scratched." Sunstreaker glared pointedly at Sideswipe.

"What? You didn't have to come along, I coulda done it myself." Sunstreaker snorted.

"Yeah right! Bro, you can't even draw a straight line without my help."

"I can!"

"You cannot!"

"Can!"

"Can't!"

"Can too!"

"Alright, knock it off! You're giving me a headache!" Ratchet yelled, pinching the bridge of his nose for the umpteenth time that day. Ironhide had finally put his cannons away, obviously deciding to wait until another time to exact his revenge upon the twins. Lyn couldn't help but giggle. The brothers were like kids. The medic turned to the human.

"And you've already met Ironhide, our resident Weapons Specialist. There are others in the base, but they can wait." He turned back to the mechs, optics shining as he scowled at them. "Right you three, you've met her, now go. She needs her rest."

"Aw, doc, can't we stay for just a little longer?" Sideswipe asked, putting on his most innocent face, if he had one. It earned him a slap to the back of the head by Ironhide, the clang echoing through the expansive medical area.

"Ow! Hey that hurt!" he yelled indignantly at the older mech. One glare from Ironhide instantly stopped the red twin's argument from going any further.

"Alright, Ratch. We're going. Come on you two trouble makers." Ironhide practically shoved the two mechs out of the med bay. Lyn could hear the indignant shouts from the two mechs all the way down the corridor. Lyn giggled again and shook her head. The medic sighed, allowing himself to finally relax slightly.

"Right Lyn, I'm going to my office. Try and get some rest. You'll feel better for it. Tomorrow, if you're well enough, I will take you around the rest of the base." Lyn nodded and watched the mech go to what she assumed was his office. With a small sigh, she carefully laid back down on the table, pulling the covers Ratchet had left behind over her. The pain in her side had dulled somewhat thanks to the painkillers. Thinking about the happenings of the day, she drifted into a deep sleep.

* * *

Finally! I'm glad that one's finished. Sorry it took so long, I've been trying to think how to go about writing this chapter. To be honest, some of the next chapters may be a little like this. I'll try to add in bits of humour or action to keep it going, but I'm not promising they'll be thrilling reads. Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews guys! If you have any suggestions for how she'll meet the others, please please please feel free to let me know. Ok? As always, constructive criticism is welcome, but no flames. Thanks!


	5. Meet The Autobots

Thanks for all the reviews I've been receiving guys! It's great to know that you still have faith in the story!

Here's chapter 5, finally, sorry it took so long. Thank you to flamingmarsh for all your wonderful ideas. You've been a great help! Keep reviewing guys!

(Lyn walks in): Oh, you're doing chapter 5 I see, Corona?

Corona: yep, that I am, Lyn, that I am. Would you do the honours of saying the disclaimer?

Lyn: You still have to do that? You've said it for the past four chapters.

Corona: yep, I do. You're a paramedic, you know how it is. You have to fill in all these forms so that you don't get sued, and then you have to…

Lyn: Yeah, yeah, ok. I get the idea. (Corona smiles and holds up cue cards) (Lyn turns to the readers) as much as she would love to, Corona doesn't own any of the Transformers. She owns only the plot and…Hey! Since when was I owned by anyone! (Picks up what looks like Ratchet's favourite throwing wrench.)

Corona: Uh oh, I think she's been hanging around with Ratchet too long. Ciao, guys! (Runs out of the door, Lyn close behind and swinging the wrench around.)

Sideswipe: I think Corona's right, you know, bro- she's been hanging out with Ratchet the Hatchet for far too long.

Sunstreaker: Yeah, maybe. Uh-oh, speaking of which. (They exchange nervous glances as said medic enters the room, a scowl plastered on his face) On with the story! (Both run out of the room)

Ratchet: Come back here you glitch heads! This is the last time you pinch my favourite throwing wrench...

* * *

When Lyn woke up, she had a hard time remembering where she was. Had it been a dream? Or had she really met giant alien robots? Opening her eyes, she found herself in a familiar med bay. Nope, it hadn't been a dream. She was still here. She looked around as far as her position on the table would allow her without moving too much. There weren't any clocks in the room. How did Ratchet keep a check n the time? For some reason, she had a feeling that it was late in the morning. She decided to test the water and began sitting up. The brace hindered her movement quite a lot, which was to be expected. She started to yawn and was almost surprised when she experienced less pain than she had last night. _Either those painkillers Ratchet gave me are extremely strong and long lasting, or I'm healing up faster than I expected._ Come to think of it, her back, arms and legs weren't giving her that much trouble either. Very odd. Very odd indeed. She sighed. Maybe Ratchet had fixed her fractures while she had been asleep? She'd have to ask him. Speaking of which, where was the medic?

"Finally, you're awake." Lyn jumped as she looked over to the entrance of Ratchet's office. He looked worried for some reason.

"Oh, hi Ratchet. What's up? How long have I been asleep?" she asked, feeling slightly groggy. She could clearly see the concern shining in his optics.

"You've been asleep for nearly three days! You had me worried." Lyn gagged.

"What! Three days! Why?" Ratchet shrugged, scanning her internals. _She seems to be stable. Why was she out for three days?_ Lyn looked shaken, to say the least. Ratchet stepped closer to the table. She was obviously mulling it over.

"Maybe…" she began.

"Huh?"

"Maybe…maybe it was because of the stress of the other day, coupled with…how strong were those painkillers?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Not strong enough to make you sleep for nearly three days. How do you feel now?" the yellow-green mech knelt down so that he was at her eye level.

"I feel ok. A little sore and a little groggy, but that's about it." Ratchet 'hmm'ed contemplatively. Lyn recognised the sound as one she used a lot herself. The medic quickly scanned her one last time before activating his holoform. Lyn couldn't get over how the robot was able to do that.

"I'm going to change you're dressings on your back, arms and legs. Then I'll check your ribs. Hold still." Lyn merely nodded. Her eyes scanned over the holoform's body again. She couldn't get enough of looking at him. She gulped slightly as he approached, feeling heat rising in her cheeks. Ratchet stopped and looked at her, confusion evident in his eyes. He cocked his head to the side slightly.

"Are you well? Your face has gone red. Is it the temperature in here?" While he said that, he performed a quick scan on the temperature. It wasn't that warm. He hummed again, sensitive sensors picking up on her rise in temperature. "Hmm, your heat levels have risen." Lyn raised her hands to her cheeks and smiled sheepishly.

"N-nothing's wrong, honest. It's natural," she explained quickly. Ratchet, still slightly confused, shook his head and knelt down next to her. Humans, such a strange race. He was glad that the uniform was burnt at the back; it made accessing her injuries easier. Besides, he wanted to wait until she had woken up before getting her to change them. Lyn hissed slightly as he gently pulled the dressing away.

"Sorry. Hmm, the burns on your back are healing up quite quickly. I'm surprised at the speed of your metabolism." Lyn simply smiled.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. I have a fast metabolism, always have. Some people do and some people don't. It's just how it is, I suppose." Ratchet hummed again. He reached into the pack at his side (Lyn hadn't noticed it before) and took out new bandages.

"I changed them yesterday, but it always helps to have clean bandages on."

"I'm glad we think on the same level," Lyn smiled. Ratchet chuckled slightly. She barely felt him replace the bandages. She only knew he was finished when he began checking her arms. They were silent for a while.

"I contacted the Hospital, by the way," Ratchet said while changing her bandages.

"Yeah? What did they say?" Lyn asked.

"Well, the receptionist was very nice, but the commander seemed less so." Lyn sighed.

"Yeah, that's Dylan Carter. I still have no idea how he managed to get that job. He's a hard man to talk to, very set in his ways."

"Yes, as it soon appeared. He said that it was up to you to get in touch and register yourself as being on sick leave." Lyn huffed.

"Yep, definitely him then. I'll get on to it as soon as. Thanks Ratchet." The medic smiled, now working on her legs. Damn he was fast! It only took him a couple more minutes to sort her legs out. At this point he seemed rather embarrassed.

"Um, ok, Lyn. I'm going to need to take you shirt off so I can look at how your ribs are and change the brace accordingly." Her cheeks flushed red again.

"C-can't you just do that scanning thing that you usually do?" she asked. _Cool it Lyn, you're getting nervous. Keep a level head, girl._

"Well, yes. That's what I have done. But I need to scan them much more closely. Besides the brace is getting in the way." Lyn sighed and started to turn around.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, either you turn around, or I turn around. I'm not taking it off in front of you if you're going to be able to see everything." Ratchet sighed. _Humans_.

"Fine. I'll turn around." Lyn peeked over her shoulder to make sure he did just that. He remained true to his word. With some difficulty, Lyn managed to prise her shirt off, holding it in front of her protectively. It didn't matter that she was still wearing her bra, she was shy. She always had been.

"O-ok, you can turn back round now." Ratchet did just that, freezing slightly when he saw her holding the shirt in front of her, looking innocent and shy. Ratchet smiled slightly, almost forgetting what he was supposed to be doing. Shaking his head slightly he knelt down again.

"I'm going to need you to trust me and move your shirt. This won't take long, I promise." Lyn hid the smile when she looked at him. His holoform couldn't blush, but the look of embarrassment in his eyes was more than enough. She nodded slightly and shyly removed her shirt. She could have sworn she heard Ratchet gulp a little. She decided to take his and her mind off the embarrassing situation.

"S-so, are there any other humans around the base?" she asked. Ratchet looked up from the brace he was undoing.

"Yes, there are. Two of them are teenagers, three are adults." She nodded, hissing as the CMO gently removed the brace. She didn't need to look down to know that there were ugly black and blue bruises along her side. She'd seen plenty of rib fractures to know what one looked and felt like. She was just glad that her cracked ribs hadn't punctured her lung. She could feel Ratchet gently running his fingers over her ribs, expertly feeling the bones. He was probably scanning them as well. She had to hold back the giggle that was threatening to escape. Unfortunately it didn't go unnoticed.

"Will you stop fidgeting? I can't check your ribs properly if you're squirming all over the place!" he said impatiently.

"S-sorry, but…you're tickling." This time she couldn't hold it in and giggled. Ratchet simply threw his arms in the air and sighed in exasperation.

"Honestly! You humans!" Her giggling quickly died down; it hurt her sides too much. Ratchet went back to his examination, careful not to touch her skin too lightly this time. She decided that his touch felt good, letting herself relax into it. However, she soon realised that she'd had nothing to do over the past three days, and she was beginning to feel it.

"Ratchet? Sorry to be an annoyance, but I'm starting to get bored." Ratchet grunted. She sighed as he began replacing her brace. "I was wondering, could you possibly show me round the base?" Ratchet went quiet. Turning her head, she suddenly wished she hadn't. He was kneeling behind her, and as she turned around, her eyes met his. If they were any closer, they would've…Lyn turned her head quickly away, blushing furiously.

"Erm, I-I suppose there's no harm in that," Ratchet said, quickly regaining his composure. "Just hold on a moment, and I'll get you something else to wear." His holoform quickly disappeared. Looking up at the robot, she noticed that his optics brightened when his holoform disappeared. He pulled something out of what she could only describe as thin air and handed it to her. It was a clean change of clothes. The CMO smirked at her look of confusion.

"It sometimes helps when you have two other females in an area," he chuckled. Before she could ask, the medic turned his back to her, giving her some privacy while she changed. It took her about five minutes, with all things considered, finally whistling at him. He looked over his shoulder before turning around fully. Obviously he had been right in his estimations. The clothing was a perfect fit. He placed his open hand on the table for her to climb into. She cautiously complied. She had a thing about being in the hands of giant robots, seeing as her first encounter with one had been on less…friendly terms.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The first door they came to, from the sounds of it, belonged to the social area. There was a lot of laughing and general noise coming from inside. Of course, the moment the medic stepped in, things went quieter. He nodded to a couple of the mechs in greeting. And, of course, Lyn didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey, Ratch!" one mech shouted. "Who's the human?"

"Why don't you come and ask her yourself, Cliffjumper?" he replied. The shorter red mech called Cliffjumper did just that.

"Name's Cliffjumper. Who're you?" he asked.

"The name's…"

"Hey Lyn! You're up!" another voice shouted. She recognised that one straight away.

"Hi Sideswipe." She could see Cliffjumper growl something before turning his back to them.

"What's his problem?" his brother asked, also coming over.

"Ah, who cares? How're you doing, gorgeous?" Sideswipe asked. Ratchet coughed pointedly, getting the red twin's attention.

"Could you at least let me put her down before you start flirting with her?" he asked gruffly. Some of the surrounding mechs chuckled. Sideswipe shrugged. Ratchet placed her down on the floor before leaving to get his Energon ration. Sideswipe held his hand out for her low enough so that she could climb on. Lyn soon found herself standing on a nearby table.

"So, gorgeous, I don't think we've been properly introduced. You know my name, but do you know my game?" He winked at her playfully, making her giggle.

"No, unfortunately I don't. Please, do tell."

"I'm…"

"He's a warrior, just like me. Front line melee warriors and assassins. Of course, I'm the better one."

"Yeah, though his ego gets in the way," Sideswipe chuckled at his brother's glare.

"Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it," Sunstreaker added.

"Yeah, which one you doin'? Gettin' it or flauntin' it? " Cliffjumper asked from the opposite table. It seemed to be an innocent enough question, if it hadn't been for the taunting undertone of the mech's voice. Sunstreaker merely growled.

"Sunny, leave him. He's just trying to get under your armour," another voice stated. Lyn turned to see another yellow bot stood behind her. He also placed two humans down on the table.

"Name's Bumblebee."

"Hi. I'm Lyn Xanders." She looked to the teenage boy, recognising his face from somewhere.

"Say, aren't you…Sam? Sam Witwicky?" she asked. Sam looked rather sheepish. The black haired girl stood next to him looked from her to him.

"How do you know his name?" she asked. Lyn was about to answer when Sam spoke up.

"She-she's a paramedic. She was one of the guys who helped me out a while ago." His face had flushed. In fact, Lyn wondered how she'd managed to hear him at all, what with the noise from the lounge and the fact that he spoke way too quietly. Lyn smiled softly.

"I never forget a face." She turned to the younger woman next to him. She was clearly his girlfriend, given their close proximity to each other. Mikaela smiled.

"Mikaela Banes. Pleased to meet you…what did you say your name was?"

"Lyn, Lyn Xanders." She shook her hand politely. "So, how did you come to know these guys?" She waved her arms around at the room. Sam and Mikaela exchanged glances before beginning their story. All the while Bumblebee stood over them, filling in anything they left out. It took a while, but when they finally finished, Lyn stood with an unreadable expression on her face.

"So, Bumblebee here is your guardian?" They nodded. "And you killed the enemy leader by pushing the, what did you call it, All Spark into his chest?" They nodded again. Lyn seemed like she was contemplating it for a moment before shrugging. "Well, I'd say that I didn't believe you, if I hadn't met them for myself." The teenagers visibly relaxed. Obviously they had expected her to get excited or scared or something. Bumblebee chipped in.

"Actually, have you met all the other Autobots?" he asked.

"Erm, I've met a couple. Not many though." Sideswipe suddenly seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Then allow me to escort you round," he smiled. This time, Sunstreaker wasn't with him. Bumblebee looked at the red Lamborghini, a small smile shining in his optics. It was clear that Sideswipe liked the human.

"Sure, that is, as long as you don't mind?" she asked, a slight pink colour coming to her cheeks.

"Nah. Why would I mind? C'mon, gorgeous, I'll take you round to meet em." He held out his hand for her to climb onto.

"Lovely to meet you both. And you Bumblebee. See you around, sometime!" Lyn smiled as Sideswipe made his way round the tables.

It took a long time to meet each and every one of them. She instantly recognised the ones she would get along with quite easily, and those she would find more difficult to approach. She instantly liked Blaster, Bluestreak, Hound, Mirage, Prowl, Wheeljack, and a myriad of others that she would have to meet again before remembering their names, not to mention those she had already met.

"Wow, there's so many!" she stated in awe. Sideswipe chuckled.

"Yep, but there's still one more you have to meet." As if on cue, the mech in question stepped in to the lounge. The room instantly went quiet. Lyn felt that, if she had been an enemy, she would be very intimidated by the mech's sheer size. Yet, the moment her eyes locked on to his deep blue optics, all she felt was comfort and warmth.

"Lyn Xanders, meet our leader… Optimus Prime."

* * *

Phew! That took a while! Lol! Sorry about the wait guys, and sorry if this chapter seems to be boring. Like I said, they will get better. Right now, these chapters are mainly intros between Lyn and the Autobots.

Thanks for reading, y'all! Hope you enjoyed!


	6. Optimus Prime and Back to the med bay

Hi guys! Wow, I'm so happy that so many of you are enjoying my story! It means so much to me guys! ) thanks for all the great reviews/suggestions/comments. They're all really great!

Disclaimer: do I have to? (Ratchet, Lyn, the twins and everyone else nod their heads.) Oh alright, if I must…I do not, never have, never will own enough money to own or even claim to own the Transformers. (Eyes Lyn warily) I only own… (Lyn cocks her eyebrow) gulp…I only one DVD of the movie. That's all, I swear!

* * *

Lyn gazed at the giant mech in front of her. He was by far the largest of the robots there, his blue and red flame armour standing out from the others. He had an aura of authority around him, and she found that she could be quite easily intimidated by him, if it wasn't for the soft calmness that shone in his optics. She immediately saw why he was the leader. He commanded with respect, earning respect, or at least that's what she figured. He looked around the room.

"At ease," he commanded, his deep voice seeming to reverberate around the room. The noise soon escalated again. Lyn heard him chuckle.

"You must be the young lady Ratchet and the twins rescued the other day?" he asked. Lyn looked up, her bright green eyes meeting his soft baby blue optics. The red Lamborghini grinned.

"Yes sir. My name's Lyn Xanders," she replied, trying to inject a little confidence into her voice. He seemed to have sensed it and smiled.

"I'm guessing that you have met the rest of the Autobots?"

"Yeah she has, Prime. Took her round myself," Sideswipe replied for her. The red and blue mech nodded.

"Very well. Have you met the other humans?"

"Well, I met the teenagers, but Ratchet told me that there are three adults here, as well."

"There are. I believe Ironhide is bringing one of them in as we speak." As if on cue, a black GMC Topkick drove into the lounge. A man with brown/blonde spiked hair jumped out before the car transformed. Lyn's eyes widened in shock. She soon overcame it when she took a good look at the man. Ironhide looked to her, growled at Sideswipe and then followed Optimus to give his report.

"Sideswipe, put me down?" she asked. He nodded. As soon as her feet touched the floor she practically ran to the man.

"Captain William Lennox. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" she asked, stopping a couple of feet away. The Special Ops Captain turned around.

"Lynx? What are you doing here?" he asked, giving her a quick hug. She hissed as pain shot through her side. He immediately let her go. "What happened? And how do you know these guys?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

"Let's just say that I had a not so friendly encounter with a police car," she smiled. Sideswipe, who had been looking confused at the time, asked them the one question that had been plaguing his mind.

"Erm, don't really wanna interrupt but, how do you know each other and why Lynx?" Will and Lyn exchanged knowing glances.

"Well Sides, this young woman here, her pop's an old friend of mine."

"He was in the army as well, only he was a medic. And my nickname's Lynx because of my initials- Lyn Xanders, Lyn X, so- Lynx." The red Lamborghini nodded slowly, his optics suddenly widening.

"Wait, you said your father was a medic for the army?" Lyn nodded. His expression changed to mock disappointment. "Aw, that means you're related to a human Ratchet!" he groaned. An indignant shout behind him soon caught his attention. Said medic was stood not more than ten feet away, hands on hips and beginning to look rather peeved.

"Oh, heh, hey Doc." One step forward by the medic had Sideswipe hightailing it out of the lounge. Lyn laughed and shook her head. She turned to Will.

"So how are you?" he asked.

"Well, you know, a little sore, but on the whole I'm fine." Will smiled. He was about to say something when he was interrupted.

"Oh, hi Ratchet. How are things?"

"Not bad. Lyn, I need to take you back to the med bay and give you a quick check over." Lyn frowned slightly.

"But, I'm fine Ratchet. You don't need to…"

"You're heart rate seems to have peaked, and you're core temperature has risen. I need to check the injuries to make sure that they're not infected."

"But…"

"I'm not arguing." The tone of his voice immediately stopped whatever argument was forming. She sighed.

"Oh, alright. Evidently there is no arguing with you. Catch you later, Will."

"See you around, Lynx." The CMO and the paramedic left the lounge, making their way back to the med bay. Bumblebee crouched next to the army captain, his two charges next to him.

"What was all that about?" Sam asked.

"No idea." Mikaela looked up to Bumblebee, a knowing look in her eyes. She smiled along with him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In the med bay, Lyn was sat on the table again. She sighed in irritation.

"For the last time, Ratchet. I'm fine. I'd know if there was anything wrong. I've been a paramedic for long enough. It was probably just because of the excitement." Ratchet grunted.

"I don't care. My scanners picked up something, and I'm going to find out what." Lyn sighed again, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Fine, do what you want." Ratchet looked at her, concern in his optics. Something wasn't right with her. Her heart rate had gone down now, but her core temperature was still the same. She yawned.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I do feel tired. I think I'm going to take a nap." With that, she lay down and almost immediately went to sleep.

"Lyn? Lyn, wake up. I need you awake so that I can check you properly. Lyn?" There was no response. Cursing under his breath, Ratchet conducted another scan. Her heart rate had slowed and her breathing had deepened. _Maybe she has just gone to sleep?_ He thought, against his better judgment. Activating his holoform, he knelt down next to her, checking her injuries at close range. There didn't seem to be any signs of infection. In fact, there was hardly any sign of injury! Apart from the slight break and the scars on the back, legs and arms where she had suffered burns, there was hardly anything to suggest that only three days ago, she had been severely injured. Scratching his head in confusion, his holoform disappeared. She hadn't gotten any worse, to say the least. What confused him was how her injuries had gone down. Very odd. However, as confused as he was, he couldn't help the small smile from crossing his lips. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping, and the way she had laid down, with her auburn hair fanning out slightly behind her, was enough to melt his spark. She was quite beautiful. Shaking his head, he got back to the job in hand.

Making sure she was comfortable, scanning her and trying to treat her in the best possible way he could, Ratchet finally sat at the work bench. He didn't want to leave her side, even for a moment. He told himself that it was because he didn't want anything to happen while he wasn't in the room. He wanted to be there in case something went wrong. His spark told him otherwise. He was confused, which rarely happened to him. What had happened to her? Why did she suddenly lose energy? And why was he worrying about her when he hardly even knew her? With a sigh, he stood up and walked to the door of his office.

"Ratchet?" Quickly turning round, he saw Lyn sitting up.

"Lyn? What happened?" The paramedic looked to the CMO.

"You tell me, you're the medic." Ratchet walked back up to the berth.

"You lost energy and just…fell asleep. I couldn't wake you. You had me worried." She could see the concern shining in his optics. She blushed slightly, looking down at the berth. "What's the matter Lyn? Is there something you're not telling us?" Lyn sighed.

"Well, in all honesty, I don't really know what happened. Something like this has happened before after I was injured on a routine patrol of the city. I was out for almost a day, or so I was told."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"All I know is that when I did wake up, any injuries I'd suffered had almost healed. Just like that." She snapped her fingers. Ratchet was listening intently.

"Did you not tell anyone?" he asked. Lyn's head shot up, and the look in her eyes almost screamed indignity.

"No! How could I tell anyone? Human's do not heal that fast. If I told anyone, do you know what they would do to me?" Ratchet shook his head. He knew that she wouldn't exactly be treated kindly. He sighed. Lyn's expression softened as she smiled slightly. He had been worried about her. She could practically feel the relief emanating from him. She sighed softly.

"Hey, Ratchet?" Her brow was furrowed slightly.

"Yes, Lyn?"

"When can I go home?"

* * *

Ok guys, you know the drill. Sorry it's short and sorry it's taken so long. I'm trying to write this story around my university work, but it's difficult. I'll try and upload the chapters as fast as I can. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It will get better, promise. Also, I've decided to make this a romance fic, but i can't decide who to have my OC fall for. So, I need your help. I'm setting up a poll, so if you would like to vote, please don't hesitate to do so. I really could use your help on this one, guys! Thanks for reading! )


	7. Action

Hey everyone! Here's chapter seven! Wow, so many people voting! ) If you want someone, remember to keep voting! You have until the next chapter, and then I'll announce the overall winner!

Disclaimer: done it already. Read back over the other chapters to read it.

* * *

"When can I go home?" Lyn looked up at the green-yellow mech, almost pleadingly. Ratchet, for once, was speechless. He'd just gotten used to having another human around the base and already she was wanting to go home?

"Erm…" _Think fast, Ratchet. She's expecting an answer._ "In all honesty, Lyn, it's not my place to make those kinds of decisions. You'll have to speak to Optimus about it." Lyn looked a little confused. "Besides, I want to keep you around a little longer, just to make sure that you're healing up alright."

"Ratchet, you've seen the injuries for yourself. They're healing fine," Lyn replied, blowing Ratchet's excuse out of the proverbial window.

"Well, we'll see what Optimus says." His tone signalled the end of the conversation.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It had been almost half an hour, according to Ratchet's chronometer, since their last conversation, and once again, Lyn was getting bored. Not one to sit around, she found the waiting hard-going. She was about to voice her discomfort to the medic when the med bay doors banged open, startling the human and the medic.

"What the slag?" Ratchet hollered, leaping out of his seat and swinging around to face the intruder.

"Hey, such language! And in front of the lady, too! For shame, Doc." Sideswipe winked at Lyn, who blushed slightly. Ratchet growled.

"What do you want?" he asked, coldly. Sideswipe looked like he was contemplating, searching for the right words to say that wouldn't result in a wrench to the helm. The answer to the CMO's question came in the form of a very irate mech.

"SLAGGER! Where are you?" The red mech seemed to jump out of his armour as the holler echoed through the spacious medical bay. It wasn't Ironhide this time, thankfully. Sideswipe dived behind the berth upon which Lyn was sitting just as Warpath barged into the room.

"Ratchet! Where'd he go?" he hollered. The CMO growled again.

"Why don't you see for yourself? And stop shouting and barging into MY med bay!" Of course, his tone instantly dampened the warrior's anger. Everyone knew that you didn't barge into the CMO's work place without a) something wrong with you that needs immediate treatment, b) a proper appointment or c) simply knocking first. Obviously, the twins and Ironhide constantly ignored these three basic, almost life-saving rules. Warpath grumbled something inaudible, glanced at the human, and turned and left. Making sure that the coast was clear, Sideswipe peeked from his hiding place and slowly raised himself.

"Phew! Thanks, Doc. I owe ya."

"I simply didn't want to have to piece you back together. I have enough trouble on my plate with you two as it is," the CMO grumbled. Sideswipe sat next to Lyn, cheekily resting his hand behind her. Ratchet, for reasons unbeknownst to him, couldn't help but feel a little jealous at how casually the younger mech could recline next to the female. Lyn looked up at the red Lamborghini.

"Just what did you do to him?" she asked. He grinned sheepishly.

"Erm...I may have, possibly, accidently, splashed a small amount of paint on him. Completely by accident. Honest Ratch!" The CMO was glaring incredulously at the twin. He pinched between his optics; a gesture he had picked up from the humans.

"Sideswipe, the day you do something accidental will be the day when the Pit opens an ice rink. Now do us a favour and leave."

"Oh, Ratchet, come on. He's not doing any harm," Lyn said.

"Yeah, I'm not doing any harm." Sideswipe copied her tone of voice almost perfectly. Ratchet sighed in exasperation. He felt the beginnings of a processor ache creep up behind his optics. He was about to say something when suddenly the sirens began wailing, followed by an enormous explosion that rocked the base, the tremor strong enough to knock the mech off his feet.

"What in the name of Primus?" Ratchet cried, standing up again. Another explosion, followed by shouting. Sideswipe immediately exited the bay, before running back in.

"We're under attack!" he exclaimed. Lyn couldn't help but feel terrified. She didn't want to face any more of those Decepticons, especially not that one she had first came across.

"Sideswipe, get Lyn out of here."

"But, Ratch…"

"NOW!" Sideswipe scooped the young woman up into his hands before running as fast as he could through the corridors. Mechs were running past him in the opposite direction, obviously to the entrance of the base. He soon came across the other humans.

"Sideswipe! Over here!" Will shouted, waving his hands. Sideswipe turned and quickly put Lyn down. Will took her by the arm as the red warrior ran back the way he came.

"Quick, Lynx. Let's get somewhere safe," he said, pulling her along behind them.

"But, what about Sideswipe and Ratchet?"

"They'll be fine! Come on!" She ran behind them, and just in time as another explosion rocked the base. They hid inside what looked like a storage bay. She couldn't deny that she was afraid, no, **terrified** about the situation. _This must have been what it was like for Dad when he was in the army_ she thought. She looked to Will, who wore a look of grim determination, and then to the teenagers, who were holding onto each other like life lines. And then it struck her. She was the only human there who was qualified as a medic. She had to keep her cool. She had to stay confident. _C'mon, Lyn. You're good at these situations. Keep a level head. _She quickly made her way over to the pair and knelt down next to them as the ground shook beneath her. She rested shaking hands on their shoulders.

"It's going to be ok. We're going to be ok." She smiled softly. However, the smile was short lived as an explosion tore the door from its hinges, rocking the room so much that rubble began falling from the ceiling.

"Hey, Barricade, look what I found!" Lyn's blood froze. She looked towards the doorway from where she was crouched, her eyes widening in horror. Her eyes met the same cold red optics of the mech that had almost killed her earlier in the week. He had a sickening smirk on his face when he spotted her.

"Hello again, human. So you did survive. I'll have to remedy that." Before he could even lift his gun, Will opened fire on him and the other Decepticon with him. The Special Ops Captain leapt in front of the others, making sure that he blocked them.

"Get out of here!" he ordered.

"But what about you?"

"Never mind me, Lyn! Get out of here!" Barricade overcame his surprise and growled deeply. The weapon had done some damage to him and his companion.

"You'll pay for that, fleshling!" Lyn grabbed hold of the Captain, yanking him over to one side just as the Saleen returned fire.

"I thought I told you to get out of here!"

"Well, Will, two things wrong with that. 1) We're trapped in here and 2) since when have you known me to leave anyone behind? Now c'mon, let's move!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Barricade growled, leaping in front of the retreating humans. The other mech was nowhere to be seen. He began advancing in on them, Will pushing them back. In the confusion, he'd dropped the weapon. Suddenly, Barricade cried out, flying into the far wall.

"You wanna fight, Slagger? Pick on someone your own size."

"Ironhide!" Will shouted. Keeping his cannons trained on the mech, the Weapons Specialist moved round the side of the storage room until he was directly in front of the humans.

"Get out of here!" he ordered.

"Ironhide, I can fight…"

"Get out of here, NOW!" Will nodded and grabbed Lyn's arm, following the teenagers. From inside the room they had just vacated, they heard the telltale sounds of a fight, punctuated by the odd explosion of Ironhide's cannons. She was beginning to relax a little when something exploded near them, throwing them to one side. Memories flooded back of that fateful day she had come across Barricade. Clenching her eyes shut, she opened them again to the sound of a cry. She looked to Mikaela, who was hugging onto Sam's seemingly lifeless body. Will was also unconscious. _Oh no_. Training and impulse set in and she immediately tried to get over to Mikaela.

"Mikaela, hold on!" she tried to shout, only for it to come out as a whisper. It seemed to work though as she limped towards her. She just reached them when a loud noise caught their attention. A mech was coming for them. The sound was his blaster charging up. Mikaela screamed, ducking her head and waiting for the impact. Lyn tried to keep her calm front up for the teenager's sake, but she was quickly losing the battle.

"Let's see how they fare when they lose all there little human friends," he sneered. He was suddenly rammed out of the way by a golden streak.

"What are you lot doing out here! I thought you were going somewhere safe!" Sideswipe yelled as his brother tackled the mech.

"Sideswipe, I need help. Will's out cold, and Sam's injured," Lyn said, her voice trembling despite her best efforts at staying calm. The red mech nodded, turning to his brother.

"Hey Sunshine, you gonna be alright handling the trash, or do you need help in dragging it out?" he asked jovially. Sunstreaker scowled at the nickname.

"I don't need help, Roses. But you better be quick. This guy's out of commission, but if my paint's damaged anymore, then someone's gonna pay." Sideswipe chuckled, taking no notice of his own nickname.

"Alright. Gotta get these guys to safety, then I'll be back to party. Can't let you hog all the fun, now can I?" He scooped the humans up, holding Mikaela and Sam in one hand and Will and Lyn in the other.

"I'll take you to the med bay. Ratchet's got loads of tools in there that might help."

"I don't care where you take us; just get us out of here!"

"Hey, lower the decibels, Gorgeous! Sheesh!"

* * *

Hurrah for number 7! Yay! Told you it would get better, didn't I? lol! Hope you all enjoyed it! Remember, the poll closes next chapter, so keep voting! RnR, please!


	8. Looking after the wounded

Hey everyone! I promised that I would close the poll by this chapter. I have. The winner will be announced at the end of this chapter. )

Last time, we left Will and Sam in a pretty bad condition. Are they going to be alright? Why are the Decepticons attacking now? Will everyone make it through? Read on to find out!

Lyn: do I get to do more treating in this one?

Me: you seem overly excited by that.

Lyn: (rolls eyes) well, if you had nothing to do for about four days, you'd want something to do, too.

Me: (innocent smile) well, you know, I've had to give you a chance to meet everyone before you do anything. Besides, have to give and a certain someone to get to know one another.

Ratchet and Sideswipe: who? (Crowd round.)

Me: (backing up) erm, can't say, it'll spoil it. (Runs)

Lyn, Ratchet and Sideswipe: (run after me) c'mon! We want to know!

Sunstreaker: (shakes head) looks like it's up to me to do the disclaimer. Oh look, all my adoring fans are waiting for me. (Big bright grin) Corona doesn't own any of us, just Lyn. Ha! As if I could be owned by anyone. I'm just too good looking. (Clang) OW! Watch the paint!

Corona: (rolls eyes and shakes head) On with the story.

"Talking"

_Thinking_

: coming:

:: spark link::

* * *

The sound of explosions echoed throughout the base. Lyn was treating Will as best she could in Sideswipe's hand. The ground suddenly rocked as something blew up nearby, causing Sideswipe to stumble. Luckily, they were at the med bay. He hastily, yet gently, placed them on the ground. His faceplates were stern, an expression that didn't suit the mech at all.

"You guys had better stay in here and stay out of trouble…I can't believe I just said that!" He smacked his hand on to his forehead in the way that he had seen the humans do when they were showing disbelief.

"We'll be fine, just as long as I have enough to help them." Lyn waved her hand at the two injured men.

"Hatchet'll have something; you'll just have to look for it." An excited smile flickered on his face as the sounds of gunfire began drawing closer. "Gotta go, Gorgeous!" He ran out of the door. Lyn sighed after him.

"Be safe, Sides." She turned to the job in hand.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .

Many times during her treatment of the teenager and the Special Ops captain did Lyn jump at the sound of battle. She had Mikaela help her with Sam, he had sustained more injuries, and it took her mind off that fact. From their perspective, it sounded like the battle was drawing to a close, and it had moved outside. The crescendo of gunfire, shouting and explosions was almost deafening even from inside the med bay. They had been lucky. It seemed that none of the Decepticons had bothered with the bay, leaving them pretty much safe. Lyn was brought out of her thoughts by a quivering hand tapping her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Mikaela looking towards the door. She turned round. It was silent. Deathly silent. The women exchanged nervous glances, almost dying of fright when the med bay doors slammed open. Numerous mechs were brought in injured by the battle. Lyn was glad that she had finished patching up Sam and Will and that she had had them moved to one side. Now it was a case of waiting for them to wake up.

"Ha ha! Did you see the slaggers run!" Sideswipe cheered as he was brought in to the med bay. A gash ran down his arm, but on the whole seemed happier than ever. Sunstreaker, on the other hand, wore a deep scowl on his faceplates.

"Yeah, I did Sides. But if I ever get hold of Vortex, he's gonna wish he was never brought online. Just look at this mess! Doesn't he realise how long it takes a mech to get this kind of shine?" Lyn could see why he was seething now; deep scratches, dents and gashes plagued his chassis.

"Well, you will dive right on him when he's brandishing his rotary blade, Sunny!" Bluestreak replied.

"Mute it, Blue!" he growled, receiving a slap on the upside of his head from an irate Ratchet.

"Don't talk back to him, he's right. You're a stupid Slagger, Sunstreaker. You could've been killed!" Sunstreaker mumbled something and then went quiet. Cliffjumper looked smug, almost looking the injured warrior up and down. Unfortunately, Sunstreaker saw him, and, in his current mood, it didn't take very much to push his anger up.

"What the fraggin' pit are you looking at, midget?" he yelled. Cliffjumper simply smiled.

"Something that isn't worth naming." Sunstreaker growled, almost leaping at the minibot warrior. Sideswipe and Bumblebee managed to hold him off. Only just.

"Sunny, chill! He's doing it on purpose!" Sideswipe yelled, his voice strained with the tension.

"Yeah, I said before he's only trying to get under your armour. Don't give him the satisfaction!" Bumblebee replied. Sunny grunted, glaring at the smaller mech, before turning around and storming past his brother and the scout. Lyn simply watched in disbelief as the yellow mech grunted and walked away. She looked to Cliffjumper, who looked rather smug and proud of himself.

"What's his problem?" she asked Mikaela.

"Who? Cliffjumper or Sunstreaker?"

"The former." Mikaela looked at the red warrior, distain apparent in her eyes.

"I don't know. He just doesn't like Sunstreaker. Or Sideswipe for that matter."

"Yeah, I gathered that much. But he doesn't have to be so vocal about it. And to purposefully bait Sunny? That's just childish." Mikaela nodded in agreement.

"It's only because Sunstreaker is so easy to bait. He's not much of a socialite, if you get my meaning."

"Yeah, I see what you mean. I guess that's why he and Sideswipe are so compatible. They're so different."

"Yeah. Well, they're twins, so I guess it's only right that they're compatible." A groan caught their attention. Lyn was immediately at Will's side.

"What happened?" he asked, groaning and trying to sit up.

"Easy there. Lay back down. We were attacked by the Decepticons, remember?" Lyn replied, gently pushing him back down.

"Oh yeah, I remember. Sam? Is he alright?" he asked, looking round for the teenager. He lay next to him, bandaged up. He was also out cold.

"He'll be fine. He suffered a few more injuries than you did, but he's ok. He's fit and healthy, so he'll pull through fine." Will nodded slowly and looked around. From the side of the med bay which they occupied, he could see what was going on. Ratchet was fixing up a mech, it looked like Gears from their point of view, and Sideswipe was talking animatedly to Bluestreak, obviously about the battle. Lyn couldn't help but smile at how excited he was about what had happened.

"He's just like a big kid talking about a fairground ride or something," she chuckled. Will and Mikaela laughed too. They were suddenly cast into shadow as a mech stood over them.

"Lyn, are you hurt?" It was Ratchet. Lyn blushed slightly before replying.

"Not seriously, Ratchet. Sam should make a good recovery, and Will's doing just fine. Mikaela's alright, too."

"Well then, if that's the case, let's get you sorted out."

"No, Ratch. You have enough to do. It's just a few scratches. If there was anything else, I would know about it. And stop scanning me, for crying out loud!" Ratchet seemed to jump slightly. At first he seemed to grump, but he couldn't stop the small smile from forming. _She sounds just like me_.

"Well, what are you standing around for? You have 'bots to help. And I have humans to help. Hey!" Before she knew what was happening, she was lifted into the air by the medic.

"I hope that you're not giving me instructions in MY med bay, young lady?" Lyn smiled her most innocent smile. Ratchet simply shook his head, before putting her down on a nearby berth.

"Hey! What about my patients?" she asked. Ratchet gently placed the two men on the berth next to her, helping Mikaela up as well.

"I would rather you treat them where they won't get squashed under foot, if you don't mind," he replied, placing his hands on his hips. Lyn did the same, matching his expression easily, neither one wanting to back down.

From the other side of the med bay, the twins were watching them with some humour.

"It must be a medic thing when they do that," Sunstreaker chuckled.

"Yeah, it must be," Sideswipe replied. Sunstreaker picked up on the lack of enthusiasm on his brother's part.

:: Someone's jealous:: he joked through their link. Sideswipe shot him a glare.

:: Am not::

:: Are too:: Sideswipe sighed outwardly, before chuckling slightly. Maybe he was a little jealous. He liked Lyn, he really did. But, if she chose the medic then, fair play to them. They certainly did seem to be compatible with each other, it was just if it would last, or if they even realised it. _Or if they even realised it, hmm? _

:: Hey, Sunny? What say we give them a little, how shall we say, 'nudge in the right direction':: He looked questioningly at his brother. Sunstreaker looked back at him disbelievingly.

:: No way did you just ask that!::

:: Aw, c'mon bro! Just look at them!::

:: No:: Sunstreaker replied monotonously.

"Ah, you're no fun."

"Sideswipe, its delicate business, and we're not exactly the most delicate of mechs. Even I'm willing to admit that much!" Sideswipe seemed to consider it a moment, until the mech in question approached them.

"What are you two planning?" Ratchet asked, raising an optic ridge. Sideswipe smiled innocently.

"Nothing, Doc. Honest." Ratchet grunted in disbelief.

"Sideswipe, the day you two don't plot anything will be the day thermals will be needed in the Pit. Now move so I can sort your brother out." Sideswipe winked at his twin, who rolled his optics and shook his head.

"See ya soon, Sunshine!" Sunstreaker growled at the nickname and watched as Sideswipe walked over to the humans, throwing a dirty look at the sniggering Cliffjumper.

Lyn didn't notice the red Lamborghini approach, too busy in checking Sam, who had now woken up.

"Heya Gorgeous!" he greeted, making her jump. She spun round, clutching her chest as if to try and calm it.

"Sides! You scared the living daylights out of me! Jeez! Warn me next time!" Sideswipe chuckled slightly.

"Ah, I'm sorry Lyn. Didn't mean to scare ya. How're you doing guys?" he asked, looking to the two men.

"Better now. Lyn told us about Cliffjumper. What's that guy's problem, anyway?" Sam asked. Sideswipe simply shrugged.

"No clue. He's just decided that he doesn't like Sunny, I suppose. Though, he really should watch what he says. It doesn't take much to work Sunshine up, and once he gets started he won't stop until he's certain that they won't do it anymore. Pretty effective towards D'cons, but not really to comrades." Lyn nodded.

"I know the feeling. We've got someone back at MCH who's more or less the same. She likes to bait anyone she can. She's one of those snooty receptionist types, know what I mean?" Sideswipe laughed again.

"Say, would I be interrupting if I asked if you wanted to go for a drive?" he asked after a moment of silence. Lyn looked at him, then back to her patients. Really, she needed to be close to them in case anything went wrong. But then again, she did need to go to the Hospital and talk to 'the boss'.

"Well," she started after weighing out everything. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I need to go to the hospital anyway and see Dylan, anyway."

"Not without permission, you're not." They looked up at the CMO as he stood next to them.

"Huh? But…"

"No 'buts'. We can't risk you going outside yet, at least not without Prime's permission first. The Decepticons could still be out there."

"Aw, c'mon Doc! We just whipped their afterburners from here to next week! They won't make a show now! Not yet at any rate!"

"I don't care, Sideswipe. They gave up too easily. They're planning something, I can feel it. Lyn, speak to Prime first. He'll tell you whether or not you can leave." His tone told them that they weren't to argue, but when did Sideswipe ever listen to warnings.

"Ratch, you're starting to sound like Red Alert! Will you stop worrying?" The CMO growled dangerously. As if on cue, Optimus himself entered the med bay.

"Here's your chance. Sideswipe, no arguments. Take her over to Prime." Sideswipe sighed, holding his hand out for Lyn, who quickly clambered on.

"But what about my patients?" she asked, turning back to the yellow-green mech.

"I'll take care of them."

"But you have enough to do as it is. Don't you think that…"

"If it gets too much, I'll simply call First Aid in to help. Now go on, the both of you." Lyn nodded, although she couldn't help but notice the slight glint of jealousy in the CMO's optics.

Optimus was looking around the bay at the wounded. Some of them were heavily injured, but most of them had only suffered scrapes and dents. All of them were talking lively, despite their predicaments. He spotted Sideswipe walking towards him. He turned fully towards the red warrior.

"Erm, Prime? Ratch said to talk to you."

"Oh? About what?" he noticed the female in his hands. He smiled softly. "Hello again, Lyn."

"Hi. Erm…" She couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by his height, no matter how much warmth radiated from him. Shaking her head quickly, she got back to the task in hand. "I was wondering, Optimus, when will I be able to go home?"

* * *

Hurrah for chapter 8! That took a while. Sorry guys, I know it was a long time.

Well, as promised, I'm now going to reveal the winner of the poll. Drum roll please!

(Everyone crowds round)

Ratchet: C'mon, we don't have all day you know!

Sideswipe: ooh, someone's impatient! (Laughs)

Ratchet: mute it, before I weld your vocal processor!

Corona: (clears throat) and the winner is…..Ratchet!

Thanks everyone for voting! (Blows on party hooter) See you next time!

Please RnR, no flames, but as always, constructive criticism is welcome!


	9. A Meeting with Mr Carter

Hey guys! Sorry I've been so long! I've been suffering from writer's block and I've been really busy with Uni work! Here's chapter 9, anyway.

Also, if any of you are fans of Dragonball Z at all, I have a story going that could really use some checking out. It stars the same Time Lady as in Remembrance. Secondly I'm thinking of writing a sequel to said story, so if anyone has any ideas at all, feel free to let me know. Ok? Thanks!

Disclaimer: once again, I don't/have never/ never will own(ed) Transformers. Lyn, Dylan and the plot is all mine. The rest belongs to Hasbro. If anyone would like to use Lyn or the plot or even Dylan, feel free, just as long as you let me know first.

::Spark link::

, , , , , , change in place

. . . . .. . . change in time

* * *

"When will I be able to go home?" Optimus seemed thoughtful.

"I'm not sure yet, Lyn. The Decepticons may have retreated for now, but there is nothing stopping them attacking again. For now, I feel it would be safer for you to stay here." Lyn cast her gaze down slightly. That was not what she wanted to hear. Granted, she enjoyed her time with the Autobots, even though she had only known them for a very short while, but she had her own life to return to, she had the hospital to get back to. Hell, she had to speak to Dylan before she lost her job! Optimus seemed to sense her slight dismay and softened. He looked to Sideswipe.

"Will you be accompanying her?" he asked. Sideswipe nodded.

"Yeah, sir. If she wants me to accompany her." Lyn looked up to the giant mech, hopeful. Optimus nodded.

"Very well. Lyn, you may go. However, Sideswipe…" he stopped the red Lamborghini as opened his mouth to say something.

"Yes sir?"

"The moment you spot any Decepticons, whether it is just their energy signatures or actually seeing one of them, you are to return to base at top speed. Is that understood?"

"But Optimus, sir…"

"No arguments Sideswipe. Is it understood?" Sideswipe nodded. "Very well. I trust Sunstreaker is going with you?"

"Well, I was just…"

"Yes he is! He's going before he drives me insane!" Ratchet interrupted. Lyn noticed that Sideswipe seemed only slightly downcast at the news he wouldn't be alone with her.

"Ah, c'mon Hatchet. You were insane to begin with!" Sunstreaker chuckled slightly, making Sideswipe smile as well. Ratchet looked to Lyn, who in turn felt her cheeks burn slightly.

"Will you be alright with these two jokers?" he asked. Lyn couldn't help but notice the slight hint of jealousy in the CMO's voice as he asked that. She giggled slightly.

"I should be. If they give me any trouble I'll make sure they know about it." She smiled, making Ratchet chuckle.

:: Told you, Sunny. They're meant for each other:: Sideswipe smiled slightly. Sunstreaker looked to his brother knowingly.

:: You are so jealous::

::I am not!::

:: You so are::

"Are you going or what!" Ratchet growled. The Twins smiled as Sideswipe handed Lyn to the Medic as he transformed. Lyn blushed again, and she was sure that the medic did as well, if only slightly.

"Hello, I'm ready! Stop ogling each other!" Sideswipe said in mock aggravation. Sunstreaker snickered. Optimus merely shook his head.

"Be careful. Sunstreaker, like I said to your brother, any sign of the Decepticons, you return to base at top speed- with Lyn. Understood?"

"What, you mean we can't have any fun 'Con hunting?" Sunstreaker asked, mock-dismay apparent in his voice.

"No. Now, go on. Roll out!"

"Yes sir!" the twins replied in unison, spinning their back wheels and tearing out of the base. Optimus looked to Ratchet, smiling knowingly. Ratchet was absently watching the track the Twins were speeding down. _He's got it bad_ the leader thought to himself. He gently placed his hand on the CMO's shoulder, bringing him back to reality.

"Come on, we both have work to do. And don't worry about Lyn. I'm sure she'll be alright."

"It's not her I'm worried about, Optimus. It's the Twins. And the Decepticons." He turned and followed the Autobot leader back into the base, sparing one last look out to the horizon and sighed, smiling as he re-entered the med bay.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lyn had never travelled this fast before in a car. In an Ambulance, it was totally different- her mind was set on the life of the person they were called to. She felt terrified, and yet strangely exhilarated at the same time. She wanted the ride to end, and yet she wanted to go faster. _The same as with the CMO_ she thought suddenly. She blushed; shocked that she had just thought that.

"Yo, Lyn, everything ok there? You're temperature just sky rocketed." Sideswipe's voice asked, tinged with concern. Lyn found herself speaking a little louder than she meant to.

"Yeah, peachy Sides!" Despite herself, she gripped onto her seat a little harder as the red Lamborghini sped up slightly. Sunstreaker pulled up next to them, keeping up with ease. Lyn realised what they were doing.

"So, Lyn, who d'you think is fastest? Me or Sunshine?"

"I heard that Sides! If it weren't for Lyn, you'd be in the dirt by now!"

"Hey, I don't mind a little dirt now and then. Unlike someone I'm not gonna name!" Lyn giggled, temporarily forgetting the speed at which they were travelling. She soon realised, however, that they were fast approaching civilization.

"Erm guys, you'd better slow it down! We're nearly there!" Almost begrudgingly, the two Lamborghinis slowed right down until they were exactly on the speed limit. She sighed in relief.

"So?" Sides asked after a while.

"'So' what?" Lyn asked.

"Who's faster?"

"I wasn't really paying attention, but I'd say you're both the same."

"Really? Don't like high speed, huh?" he asked. Lyn heard the amusement in his voice, hitting him playfully on the dashboard.

"Ow! Hey! What was that for?" Sideswipe asked, complaining playfully.

"For being a cheeky slagger!" she laughed.

"Definitely been spending too much time with Ratchet the Hatchet!" Sunstreaker laughed. Lyn blushed at the name. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker shared knowing smiles through their link. Sideswipe grinned to himself.

"So, you and Ratchet, huh?" he asked outright. Lyn's eyes snapped open wide.

"What?" she asked, a slight stammer in her voice.

"You and Ratchet. Working together. You make a pretty good team." Lyn sighed in relief, and yet still felt a little agitated. Why?

"Heh heh, yeah I suppose."

"Well, you're certainly meant for each other." Lyn felt the knot in her stomach tighten further.

"M-meant for each other?"

"As a team. You practically mimic him," he replied, grinning to himself. He heard Sunstreaker warning him through their spark link.

:: Quit teasing her:: he warned.

:: I'm not:: Sideswipe replied, feigning innocence.

:: Yeah right. You're scaring her, you know that right?::

::Huh?:: Sideswipe performed a quick scan on his passenger, noticing that her heart rate and stress levels had peaked slightly. :: Oops. Didn't mean to scare her::

::Yeah, well I suggest you stop now before you do some damage::

"Say, Lyn? You ok?" he asked, feeling slightly worried now.

"Yep, peachy," Lyn replied, her voice cracking slightly in the stress. Was Sideswipe hinting at something that she didn't realise? It certainly seemed that way. She thought back over the times that she had been with Ratchet. Each time, she felt the already tight knot in the pit of her stomach tighten further, especially when she remembered Ratchet's holoform. He was absolutely gorgeous! She blushed a deep red the moment she thought it.

She was extremely thankful when they pulled into Mission City.

"So, Lyn, where to first?" Sunstreaker asked through his brother's comlink.

"Hmm, I think I'll go to the hospital first. May as well get this sorted with Dylan before he fires me."

"Why would he fire you?" Sideswipe asked.

"Well, he's pretty much a stickler for protocol, and he's warned a lot of us that if we are off sick, we get in touch with him ourselves. He's already fired a couple of the newbie paramedics. They'd barely started and he fired 'em."

"He sounds worse than Prowl on a bad day!" Sideswipe joked. Lyn giggled. She'd met quite a few of them, and Prowl, while being one of the most polite people she had ever met, did seem to be a stickler for protocol. She smiled slightly at the looks that passers-by gave the two Lamborghinis and, true to his nature, Sunstreaker just had to slow up a little so that they could get a good look at him.

"Hey, Sunflower! Quit showing off!" Sideswipe called through their link. He heard Sunstreaker growl and chuckled.

"Gets him every time, Gorgeous." Lyn smiled, until she caught sight of the hospital. She suddenly felt her insides do a somersault.

"Hey, Lynx, everything ok there?" Sideswipe asked.

"Yeah, just a little nervous, that's all. I've only ever had to face Dylan once before. And that was not pretty." Her mind replayed the conversation she had had to sit through. He was ranting about a way that she had spoken to one of the receptionists, but as far as she knew, they deserved it.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker pulled into the parking area of the Hospital. Lyn quickly got out.

"I won't be long, guys. Just sit tight." With that, she walked over to the reception. The two Lamborghinis activated their holoforms and sat waiting.

"Sit tight is the right term. If whatever bozo has parked his car so close to my half of the parking space so much as chips my paint, I swear there'll be murder."

"Hey, chill out will ya! Besides, Lynx said she wouldn't be long." Sunstreaker grumbled and went silent.

"Uh oh." Sideswipe muttered after a moment.

"What's 'Uh oh'?"

"Take a look." Sunstreaker turned his holoform's head just in time to see a certain Saleen turn the corner.

::Slag!::

::Just what I was thinking, bro. Let's hope Lyn hurries up::

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Inside the Hospital, Lyn sat, unknowing that the first Decepticon she laid eyes on was just coasting past. She sat, twiddling her thumbs and waiting for the receptionist to tell her that Mr Carter was ready to see her. _If she actually looked at the screen instead of painting her nails, maybe I'd be in by now_. Fifteen minutes had past until Dylan finally came to the door. He was a greying well built man, whose suit and aura just gave off authority.

"Miss Xanders! I've been waiting for fifteen minutes for you to enter!"

"Sorry Mr Carter, I didn't know. Nobody told me." She shot a glare at the smirking receptionist.

"Yeah, right. You paramedics are just set on making me go insane. Are you coming in, or what?" Lyn stalked past the receptionist, shooting her an unholy glare.

Once inside, her nervousness just seemed to swell. Dylan sat at his desk in a well sized leather seat, leaning forwards and resting his chin on his folded hands. Lyn sat down on one of the smaller, less comfortable chairs on the opposite side.

"So, where have you been, Miss Xanders?" he asked. Lyn made herself comfortable before beginning.

"I was involved in an…accident, Mr Carter."  
"Oh? So why were you not admitted to hospital?"

"I was being cared for by a…senior medic and friend of mine at another establishment. He happened to be on duty at that moment."

"Oh? And who was it who phoned in?"  
"That was my friend." He hummed contemplatively.

"It's strange. If you were involved in an accident almost a week ago, where are your bandages? Where is your aid?"

"It wasn't that bad. I was more shaken than anything."

"Miss Xanders. You know my protocol. Unless you are extremely ill, bed-ridden, severely injured or dying, you come in as usual! You do not get your friends to phone in for you when you could quite easily phone yourself! Or, better yet, come in!"

"But Mr Carter! I…"

"I don't want to hear your excuses! You paramedics are all the same! You all believe that you're God's gift to the world and that you should be treated that way! Well, not in my hospital, you won't!" Lyn could feel her anger bubbling just under the surface. How dare he accuse her of taking the hospital and her position for granted!

"Mr Carter, that's not fair!" she said quietly, trying to keep her anger under wraps.

"I'll tell you what's not fair, Miss Xanders, what's not fair is that you and your team especially seem to think that they can do whatever they please, when good, hardworking people like Nikki out there have to suffer!"

"Like Nikki! That imbecile out there failed to tell me that you were waiting for me! She just sat there painting her nails! And here was me thinking that you didn't allow that kind of behaviour. Maybe it is just the paramedics you have it in for!" That was the last straw.

"Miss Xanders. If you make one more accusation

. like that, I will have your uniform and I will make sure that you never work as a paramedic in Mission City or any of the surrounding states again!" Lyn went quiet. How dare he threaten her like that? He had no right. He didn't run the hospital. She never once thought that this would happen. And now she was going to get the sack. She knew it!

"Mr Carter, I…"

"Not another word. I'm going through your record. Wait outside, please." Lyn numbly got up and exited the office. She heard Nikki snicker.

"What are you laughing at?" she growled.

"Oh nothing. Just, should've seen it coming, shouldn't you? I mean, you so deserve it!" Lyn felt her bottom eye lid twitch. She suddenly smirked.

"Well, at least I have the guts to go out into the field and do what I do without the fear that my nail varnish is going to get chipped!" Nikki snickered again.

"Yeah? Well at least I don't bow to Mr Carter's every beck and call. I can make it by myself." Lyn suddenly changed her tune.

"Really? Wow, you must be independent."

"I do a better job than you and everyone else here."

"Nikki? Is that nail varnish I smell?" Dylan asked exiting his office. Nikki's eyes shot open as she spun round, knocking the open bottle all over herself and the floor. Dylan growled a little.

"Miss Xanders. I'm willing to give you one more chance. Going through your records, I've noticed how much you give to the hospital. You on the other hand!" he turned to the receptionist. "In my office! Now!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The twins spotted Lyn exiting the hospital with a large, smug grin plastered on her face. She paused when she saw their holoforms. They noticed her quicken her pace.

"Hey!"

"Oh, hi Lynx," Sideswipe replied.

"Sides?"

"The very same, gorgeous."

"And…Sunstreaker?"

"Yo."

"But, how!"

"Holoforms. Listen, babe we don't have time to explain. We've just spotted Barricade coasting the area." Lyn shivered as she remembered the large, dangerous black and white mech.

"We don't think he spotted us or our signatures, just yet, because he just went straight past." Lyn hopped into the passenger seat in Sideswipe as they once again pulled out into the road.

"Where is he now?" she asked.

"Don't know, but we're gonna have to lay low for a moment. Anyway, what are you so happy about?"

"Oh nothing. Just got my on back on one of Dylan's receptionists. She's probably being told that she has to clean up her mess or else."

"Or else what?"

"His favourite punishment- suspension from work until further notice."

"Wow, he really is worse than Prowl, isn't he, bro?" Sideswipe asked. Sunstreaker chuckled. Lyn couldn't keep her eyes off the twins' holoforms. Apart from the fact that Sunny's hair was blonde and Side's was red, they looked completely alike. And she had to admit, they were pretty good looking. _Not as good looking as Ratchet's, though!_ She shook her head.

"So, where to now?"

"Home."

"Is that your home or our 'home'?" Sideswipe asked playfully, Lyn chuckled.

"Mine." All of a sudden, there was a loud crunch as Sideswipe lurched forwards.

"What the slag!" Lyn looked through the rear view window.

"Oh no. Guys, we have company!" She heard Barricade chuckle darkly as he rammed Sideswipe again, this time knocking him into Sunstreaker.

"Sunny! Floor it!" Sunstreaker obliged with a growl, Sideswipe just behind him. Barricade, however, was proving harder to throw off than they thought. The two Lamborghini's shot into a secluded area, screeching to a halt in perfect unison.

"Lynx, get out and hide. Hurry!" Lyn obliged, diving out of the red Lamborghini. As one, the twins transformed, just as the Saleen roared into the clearing.

"Sides, call base!"

: Autobot base! Autobot base, do you read me!: the red twin called down his comlink. Blaster replied.

: Yo Siders, what's hangin'?:

: Not now, Blaster. We need help! We're being attacked! Send reinforcements!:

: Whoa, whoa, ok. Where you at?:

: These are our coordinates. And hur….:

-Back at the base-

"Sideswipe! Sideswipe! Sunstreaker! Do you copy! Slag. They've been jammed. And I've only got part of their coordinates!"

* * *

Uh oh! Hope they're going to be alright! I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. I know it went pretty slow. Please tell me what you think!


	10. attack

Bwahahahahahahahahaha! Kept you all hanging on, huh? What happens to the twins? What happens to Lyn? Read on to find out.

"Talking"

_thinking_

:Comlink:

::Sparklink::

PS: don't own Transformers!

* * *

"Blaster! Blaster are you there! Fraggin' slag it! Sunny, we've been jammed!" Sideswipe called, narrowly dodging a shot from the Saleen Decepticon.

"Slaggers!" Sunstreaker growled. Barricade chuckled darkly.

"What's the matter, Auto-bums? Can't contact your friends to come and help?" Sunstreaker growled and, before Sideswipe could stop him, lunged at the black and white mech. Barricade, not realising the danger before it was too late, toppled to the ground with roar.

From the foliage, Lyn watched the fight between the three mechs. The sudden sound of jet engines caught her ears. Looking up, she caught sight of a silver F-22 Raptor, flanked by two other jets, whose designs she didn't recognise. She smiled at first, thinking that Will had known what was happening and had sent the air force. That was, until it dawned on her that Will couldn't have known what was going on. Besides, she remembered her father once tell her that F-22 pilots didn't fly with other squadrons.

"Oh no!" Forgetting what Sideswipe had told her to do, Lyn ran out of cover. "Sunny! Sides! Look out!" she screamed. Sideswipe looked up just in time to notice the three jets screaming towards them.

"Sunny! Hit the deck!" he yelled, diving into his brother, pushing him off the thoroughly beaten Barricade just as the jets fired. Barricade took the shots.

: You imbeciles! Watch where you're firing!: Barricade growled down their comlink as he got unsteadily to his feet. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker both staggered up at the same time, Sideswipe shaking his head to clear the daze and Sunstreaker growling curses and other such profanities. To Lyn's horror, the jets had turned and were approaching again. This time, the twins were ready for them. Shooting as one at the already heavily damaged Barricade, they leapt into the air, activating their in-built booster packs.

:: Haven't done this in ages. I could be a little rusty:: Sideswipe chuckled through their link.

:: It's only because we haven't had any seekers to practice on at home:: Sunstreaker smirked back, as they planted themselves on two of the oncoming jets, grabbing their fins and pulling them into each other.

"Yeehah!" Sideswipe yelled. He didn't notice the F-22 bearing down on him. Until the last moment.

"Sideswipe!" Lyn cried as the red mech took a missile to the back. Sunstreaker, seeing and feeling his brother fall heavily to the ground, cried out in unholy rage and pain, leaping from the black jet onto the F-22, tearing at every possible place he could.

"Aargh! Imbeciles, get him off me!" Starscream yelled at his wing mates, trying his best to throw the irate Autobot off him. Thundercracker and Skywarp, still dizzy from before, shot at him the best they could. But Sunstreaker was intent on bringing the Air Commander down with him. With a scream of engines, both mechs ploughed into the ground. Starscream, of course, came off the worst. Sunstreaker staggered from the downed Air Commander towards his fallen brother.

"Sides, you hear me bro?" he asked, gently shaking his brother's shoulders. Sideswipe groaned.

"Hey. You look like the pit." Sideswipe joked. Sunstreaker growled.

"Yeah. I got Screamer back for you though, which makes me feel a whole lot better."

"But for how long?" The Twins looked to where the voice came from. Barricade, as badly injured as he was, had stood up again, and was smirking at them. The two remaining jets stood behind him. Sunstreaker growled, helping his Twin up. Sideswipe leaned heavily against his brother. It was only then that they noticed why he was looking so confident.

"Lyn!" Sideswipe gasped. Clutched in the Decepticon's clawed hand was, indeed, Lyn.

, , , , , , , , , ,, ,, , ,

Meanwhile, the Autobots were getting ready to mobilize.

"Dey're somewhere five miles North West of Mission City. It looks like a forested area," Blaster stated.

"Very well, we'll find them," Optimus nodded.

"If anything has happened to Lyn, there'll be the Pit to pay!" Ratchet growled to himself. Unfortunately for him, it didn't go completely unheard. Mikaela and Sam exchanged knowing smiles.

"Alright Autobots, you know the plan of action. Roll out!" the selected Autobots transformed and followed their leader out of their base, leaving the others to finish repairs.

"You know, I don't know why they're bothering to go after those two. What's the point?"

"Because, Cliffjumper, they're Autobots, too. What's your problem with them anyway?" Bluestreak asked. The red warrior didn't answer. The silver Ferrari rolled his optics.

"Come on, Cliff, if you have a problem with them, what is it? I mean, if you have a problem with someone, surely you have a reason for not liking them, right?"

"Shut up, Bluestreak." With that, Cliffjumper turned and walked off, leaving Bluestreak alone.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Barricade grinned, tightening his grip on the young woman. Out of the corner of his optics, he saw Starscream slowly stagger to his feet, huge sparking tears and gashes, not to mention dents and cavities plaguing his chassis. The Air Commander shook his head a couple of times, ridding the fog in front of his optics caused by the G-forces and his many injuries. He growled as he looked to the twins and then to Barricade.

"Good work Barricade, you managed to subdue them, for now."

"Thank you…_sir_," the Saleen growled. Starscream smirked.

"Now now, there's no need for insubordinate tones. Not in front of our…guests." The Twins merely growled.

::What do we do now, Sunny?::

::I really don't know Sides. You did manage to get the call to the Autobots, didn't you?::

::Of course. I also took the liberty to activate a beacon. They should be here soon::

::Let's hope we can stall them, if not anything else:: So busy in their conversation, the Twins didn't notice Sky Warp appear behind them. Until they took a shot each, bringing them to the ground.

"How's that, Screamer? Even got 'em kneeling for ya."

"Good work. For once Sky Warp, you did something useful. Now, Autobots, you will do what I say."

"Oh yeah?" Sunstreaker growled.

"Yes. Or your fleshling friend pays the price!" The Decepticons chuckled darkly. Sunstreaker shook with anger.

::Sunny, I'm afraid to say that we don't have a choice. They have Lyn. And you know what'll happen to us if anything happens to her:: Sunstreaker slumped. He was right. They didn't have the choice. Lyn's gasp brought him back to reality.

"So, do we have an understanding?" Starscream smirked, taking the human from Barricade. He approached the two Autobots. They looked at each other and shrugged.

"If we must." Sideswipe hesitantly agreed. Lyn's eyes widened in shock.

"No! Don't!" All it earned her was a violent shake from the Air Commander. And all that did was made her feel sick and dizzy. Now that he was sure that they couldn't fight back, Starscream ordered those there to "Show them how Decepticons treat their guests". A barrage of firepower was shot at them; both of them being too weak to move out of the way fast enough. Lyn watched them with wide, watery eyes, helpless to do anything. She hated feeling helpless. And she hated being held by this overgrown toaster. In fact, if he were human, she'd have given him a piece of her mind by now! Empowered by her newly found anger, Lyn managed to somehow kick the Air Commander's finger with a good strong back kick. He yelped in surprise, almost dropping her. The momentary lapse in his grip was all she needed. Wriggling as fast as she could, she managed to drop herself to the ground. With a growl, Starscream swung his hand down, trying to catch the human. Grinning, Lyn used her much smaller size to her advantage, dropping and combat rolling before jumping to her feet again, just like her father had taught her. Finding the display of their new 'mighty leader' trying his best to grab hold of a mere human, Thunder Cracker and Sky Warp fell to the floor, clutching their sides.

"Shut up and get that human!" Starscream screeched, living up to his name. In a moment of madness, Lyn ran up to him and kicked him in the back of his leg before running towards the injured, but nevertheless hysterically laughing, twins.

"Lynx, that was amazing!" Sideswipe exclaimed, trying to catch his breath.

"Yeah, gonna have to keep you on our side!"

Perturbed that a mere human had made him the mockery of the Decepticons, Starscream levelled his blaster with her, preparing to fire.

"I'll teach you to make a fool of me!" He fired on the human. Lyn screamed, covering her eyes. Nothing happened. Staying where she was for a moment, she slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself cast in shadow, the late afternoon sun glinting off what seemed to be black metal. She looked around, the silhouettes of numerous giants blocking out the sun here and there.

"Ironhide?" The mech made very little movement, he appeared to be frozen.

"Leave now, Starscream. You have no business here."

"Ah, Optimus Prime. So nice of you to join our little get together." Lyn could hear the smirk in his voice, and yet she was sure she picked up a small hint of fear. Lyn looked up again at the giant black behemoth in front of her. Ironhide had protected her from being shot, and he now seemed to be coming to. With a groan and a shake of his head, Ironhide growled at the four Decepticons, whipping out his cannons. Lyn had to hold her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. The look in Starscream's optics when those giant 'cylinders of doom', as she'd heard Sideswipe call them, spun out of their places on his wrists was absolutely priceless. If he had blood, she was sure that it would have drained from his face by now.

"You've won this one, Prime. Decepticons retreat!" The grating sound of metal on metal caught her ears as the four Decepticons transformed and sped away from the area. At that moment, the stress of the situation became too much for her, and she fainted.

* * *

And that is number ten! Phew! Sorry for the wait, guys! I've had no idea how exactly I wanted to continue it. I've been suffering pretty bad writer's block. Hopefully this will clear it. Lol! I'm still not completely 100 happy with it, but I can't think of any way to improve it.

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Lol!


	11. rescued, to run away

Well hi there! Sorry I took so long in uploading this chapter. I've had loads going on at the moment with Uni. Ah, gotta love being a second year. Lol!

Anyway, just a quick recap-

In the last chapter, Lyn and the twins were attacked. The twins are badly injured, and Lyn has fainted. Again.

Lyn: why do I always have to faint?

Ratchet: because you're the, what is it you humans call it? Damsel in Distress?

Lyn: (glowers at Ratchet) What did you call me?

Ratchet: Erm… gotta go! (Shoots through the door, Lyn hot on his tail)

Lyn: You get back here!

Corona: (shakes her head) anyway- I don't own Transformers. Only my OCs. Wanna use them? Ask permission, and I'm sure that they'll be happy to work with you.

Warning- a bit of angst making its way into the chapter.

"Speaking"

_Thinking_

, , , , , , , change in place

Lyn didn't know what was going on. She remembered being out in a clearing with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, she remembered the Autobots coming to help them and how the Twins were badly damaged. Lyn opened her eyes, feeling her surroundings rumbling. She was lying on an all too familiar stretcher bed in what looked like a vehicle. She slowly sat up.

"How are you feeling Lyn?" a familiar voice asked. It seemed to be all around her.

"Ratchet? Where are you?" she asked. She heard him chuckle.

"Where do you think?" Lyn smacked her head. Of course, he was the vehicle. There was silence for a moment, only the sound of Ratchet's engine and the rumble of his frame as he drove over a particularly uneven surface.

"You didn't answer my question," the CMO stated after a while.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine. No need to worry about me." She smiled innocently.

"I always worry about you, Lyn." The paramedic froze slightly. She felt the heat inside the vehicle increase slightly and giggled. Perhaps this was his way of blushing?

Ratchet could not for the life of him believe that he had just said that out loud. _Not now Ratchet. You have casualties to attend to, _he reprimanded himself. The sooner they got back to the base, the better. He felt the female shifting around slightly.

"Everything ok back there?" he asked, performing a scan anyway.

"Yeah. I'm good. It's just weird being in the treating area of an ambulance on my own. I'm used to only being back here with a casualty or a member of my team." Ratchet chuckled.

"Do you want to sit in the front?" he asked

"That's ok. I wouldn't want to get in the way." Ratchet couldn't help but notice the slight resignation in her voice.

"Lyn? Are you well? You're stress levels have increased." Lyn sighed.

"I'm fine, Ratchet. Really. It's just… I'm worried about the Twins." She sighed again.

"What, about those pain-in-the-afts? They'll be fine. They've been through worse than this. It's what comes with being frontline fighters, and reckless slaggers." Lyn smiled.

"You really don't like them, do you?" It was more of a statement than a question. It was Ratchet's turn to sigh.

"It's not that I don't like them. It's just, they get hurt by doing the stupidest of things and one of these days they're…going to do more damage to themselves than I'm going to be able to fix." From Lyn's point of view, Ratchet seemed to sag on wheels.

"You worry about them," she conceded.

"I worry about all of them. But especially those two. I keep hoping that I'll knock some sense into them, but it never works. They're ignorant slaggers, especially Sideswipe. He just loves throwing himself, literally as a matter of fact, into the midst of a battle, no regard for his own safety. His brother at least has a little more sense, even if it is to protect his 'beloved paintjob'." Lyn laughed. Ratchet had never heard her laugh before. He'd heard her giggle, but never actually laugh. In fact, he couldn't help himself laughing. It had been a long time since he'd done that. He smiled to himself. Lyn allowed him to laugh.

The ride back to the base had seemed to be a lot shorter than both medics would have liked. They had been thoroughly enjoying themselves. But now, duty called. It had been two Earth hours since both Lamborghinis had been taken into the med bay. They had been able to drive themselves back, but, once they'd transformed, had collapsed in the doorway. It was then that Lyn realised just how damaged they were. She walked around the base, hoping to find something to do to take her mind off the worry. She hated worrying. She never coped well with worry. So caught up in her thoughts was she that she didn't see the teenagers approach. She jumped when they suddenly appeared beside her.

"Oh, hey guys. You startled me."

"Hi Lyn. You looked lonesome, so we thought…ow! Ok, Mikaela thought we should come keep you company." Sam rubbed his ribs were his girlfriend had nudged him with her elbow.

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it. Oh, and I'll apologise now if I'm not very good company." Mikaela cocked an eyebrow.

"Why, what's up?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing much. Let's just say that I don't deal with worry all that well." Mikaela smiled at Sam.

"You're worried about the twins, aren't you?" she asked.

"I worry about all my casualties, but yeah, I'm worried about the Twins."

"Ah, I wouldn't worry about those idiots." The humans turned around, only to find Ironhide behind them. "Ol' Ratch has pieced them back together before now. They're in the best hands." Lyn smiled slightly as they watched the Weapons Expert lumber away, probably to the still standing training room. Mikaela nudged Sam, a little more gently this time, nodding with her head towards the faraway look in Lyn's eyes. Sam smiled slightly, shaking his head at the same time. He knew that look in his girlfriend's eyes all too well. She had had the same look when she planned a surprise birthday party for his mother. She frowned at him slightly before turning to the paramedic.

"Hey, Lyn? Wanna come and see how the twins are?"

"That's ok. Ratchet won't be allowing anyone in. Believe me, I know what surgeons can be like if they're working on something. They hate interruptions."

"Ah, come on, Lyn. Ratch'll let you in. I mean, you're a medic, too. He'll probably welcome your company." _Especially after work_ she thought to herself with a slight giggle.

"I don't know."

"Ah, c'mon, Lyn. Mikaela's right. It's not like you're a soldier or anything like Ironhide or some of the others. You're a medic, so he'll know that you won't go barging in, putting him off what he's doing." Lyn blushed slightly before finally giving in.

"Alright, alright. Let's go see them." The teenagers smiled to each other.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

All around, the sounds of repairs rang through the base. The Autobots were pretty fast workers; most of the base's more important areas had already been rebuilt. Lyn smiled slightly. The Decepticons certainly were destructive. She sighed. It was still going to take months before they got it all back up and running. And she probably wouldn't be around to see it fully repaired. _I have to start back at work again soon, before I lose my job for real. _

The journey to the Med bay seemed to take less time than she really would have liked. Lyn was actually surprised to find a couple of the Autobots waiting outside. But, then again, they were Hot Rod and Bluestreak who, as far as she could tell, were great friends with the Twins.

"Hey guys. How're you holding?" Sam asked as they got nearer. Hot Rod shrugged.

"Ah, you know the Twins, Roddy. They're always getting themselves into trouble." Bluestreak stated, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, but never more than they can handle together. Not like this."

"Well, Ratch said that they would come down to Earth with a crash. Get it? Huh? Anyone?"

"That's not funny, Blue," Hot Rod stated, shaking his head at the silver and grey mech. Bluestreak sighed, leaning against the wall opposite the red and orange mech. Lyn looked to the two teenagers and shrugged, walking past the glum Autobots.

"Hey, guys? I'm going in to see if Ratchet wants any help. I'll let you know how they're doing, ok?"

"Yeah, we'd appreciate that, Lynx," Hot Rod smiled. Lyn sighed. Ever since Will had used her nickname in front of the mechs, that's all she had been called. Not that she minded, of course. They'd soon know if she did.

"Oh, Lynx? I'd be careful in there. Ol' Hatchet's not in the best of moods."

"Ok, Bluestreak. I'll bear it in mind." _Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all_, she thought, looking at the enormous door in front of her. With a sigh, she pushed her way through the opening.

The door wouldn't close properly due to the damage, but it kept the other 'Bots out. In front of her, she could see both Ratchet and Wheeljack working on Sideswipe. Sunstreaker had already been repaired, and now lay on the birth next to his brother, out cold. She tried to speak, but the words seemed to stick in her throat. With the whirring of the laser scalpels to contend with, she wondered if they would hear her anyway. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"Ratch?" The CMO didn't seem to hear her, and neither did the scientist, for that matter. Instead, she decided to bite the metaphorical bullet and made her way over, unaware of the small patch of mech fluid on the floor. Until she stepped on it. With a cry, she slipped backwards, grabbing hold of the first thing she could, which happened to be a cloth on a human-sized table, upon which sat Mikaela's tools. They crashed to the ground with her, startling the scientist and the medic.

"Lyn!" Ratchet yelled, spinning round on the human. Lyn just looked at them, dazed and blushing.

"S-sorry, Ratch. I'll get it tidied up…"

"You should know better than coming in here, putting us off our work!"

"Hey, c'mon Ratch. No real damage done," Wheeljack said, trying to calm the already fuming medic before he did something he would regret.

"I said I was sorry, Ratchet!" Lyn replied; her own voice rising in volume.

"Sorry's not good enough, not when lives are at stake! You should know that, what with your line of work!"

"Ratchet, c'mon now…"

"No, I won't 'C'mon now', Wheeljack! If she comes barging in here when we're working, what is she like at the hospital?"

"Hey! I resent that! And for your information, I did NOT come 'barging in here', as you so lightly put it! I came in here to see if you wanted any help! I came in to see you! But, no, don't worry about me, Chief! I'm ok! I'm not injured, even if I did slip on a spill that YOU failed to NOTICE!" There was a heavy, icy atmosphere in the med bay, one which Wheeljack didn't like. They were nearly finished fixing Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker was already in recharge. If they could keep their heads, they'd have the red Lamborghini fixed up in no time. He decided to keep working on the fallen warrior, but he couldn't help but notice how the two medics were having a heated staring match.

"Just get out." Both Wheeljack and Lyn jumped at the sheer amount of anger and icy coldness in that one suddenly uttered sentence. Wheeljack looked to Lyn, his spark aching for her when he saw the pain in her eyes.

"But, Ratch, I…"

"I said, get OUT!" Without thinking, the CMO picked up a nearby wrench and threw it at the wall above Lyn. She only just jumped out of the way when it crashed to the ground, and fled the room.

"Ratchet! Was that really necessary?" the scientist reprimanded him, hands on hips.

"Just shut up and carry on with the job."

"No, Ratchet! Sideswipe will be fine for the moment. But you need to listen!" Ratchet wasn't, causing his long time friend to do something that was completely out of character. He rounded the berth, grabbing the medic by the shoulders and hit him across the faceplate- hard. Out of shock of the inventor's actions, the medic fell backwards, staring at his long time friend with wide optics.

"Now, you are going to listen to me, Ratchet! You didn't see that poor young lady, but I did! What you have just done is unforgivable!" The anger in Wheeljack's optics was something that the medic was not used to seeing, and if he hadn't been in his own mood, he was sure he would have wilted under that scrutinising stare.

"She needed to be told," the CMO growled, pulling himself up off the floor.

"You threw a slagging wrench at her!" Wheeljack shouted, pointing at the small dent in the wall where the wrench had hit. Ratchet looked at the spot that Lyn had just vacated, spotting the wrench lying only a few inches away. It had been a very close call.

"What would you have done if it had actually made contact with her, hmm? She's not a Cybertronian! You would have done some serious damage! And I mean, serious! You probably already have!" At that, Ratchet froze.

_Oh, what have I done?_ He thought, the energon in his fuel lines turning to ice.

"Wheeljack, finish up here. I'm going to find Lyn." He didn't wait for a reply, barging through the door after the human.

"Primus help you if you don't find her in time," Wheeljack stated, turning back to the mech on the berth.

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Lyn didn't stop to talk to the mechs or the humans outside the Med bay, even when they shouted her name. She just ran. Ran for all she was worth. She knew it had been a bad idea to disturb the medic. But she'd never have thought him capable of such anger. He had scared, no, TERRIFIED her, and when he threw that wrench at her, it took all her energy not to scream! She ran, blindly, out of the base, ran past working Autobots; ran until she came to the foothills. And she still didn't slow her pace. She wasn't thinking. Not clearly, at any rate. She ran as fast as she could, unshed tears burning her eyes. She ran on and on, using her anger, her anguish, her pain, her distress to power herself forward until she was running faster than she ever thought possible. Her body was screaming at her to slow down before she did herself some serious damage, her lungs burning in her chest, her heart pounding as if it was about to explode, but she ignored them. She just ran as fast as she could away from the base. She ran until she could run no more, until she was exhausted. Coming to a stop in the mountainous ridges surrounding the Dam, she did something that she hadn't done in a long, long time. She screamed. She screamed out to the heavens. She felt like a human pressure cooker, filled to the point of exploding. She screamed out all of her anguish, her pain, everything, those unshed tears now falling freely in streams down her face. She hadn't cried properly in years. She screamed for all she was worth, crying for the casualties that she couldn't save, for colleagues who had lost their lives in accidents or while on-call. She screamed for her loved ones, people she had lost, her mother, her father, everyone she loved, people she missed with all her heart. And now Ratchet. She clutched her head, falling to her knees and ploughing her fists into the ground again and again and again. She screamed until her throat was red raw. She cried until she was physically and mentally exhausted. Panting, she collapsed to the ground.

Night was beginning to fall. Nocturnal animals were already beginning to make their presences known. The heat of the day slowly but surely ebbed away. And still, Lyn didn't move. She couldn't. So tired was she that she simply didn't have the energy to move. She shivered, weakly pulling her knees up to her chest and folding her arms around them, trying to find some heat on the cold hard rock. Her tears still fell, but she was simply too exhausted to wipe them away. Her throat was burning, the sides of her hands were raw and grazed. Her knuckles were bleeding where the skin had scraped against the ground, but she was too exhausted to care. Her eyelids were growing heavy, and as much as she tried to fight it, Lyn knew that her body was shutting down, crying out for sleep. And all that went round in her mind was the look, not only on Ratchet's faceplates, but also in his optics. There was just so much anger and his optics were so icy cold, that it made her shiver. He hated her. He must have done by now. No one was looking for her. She couldn't hear anything over the cold wind, and the distant rumble of thunder as a storm threatened to set in. She pulled the jacket she'd borrowed off Mikaela around her now freezing body. If only she hadn't disturbed him. If only she'd listened to herself. But now, here she was, in the cold windy mountains surrounding the concealed Autobot base, completely alone and completely lost. Slowly but surely, she lost the fight to stay awake, finally allowing sleep to overcome her. And before darkness consumed her, she simply prayed that she would be able to last the night.

So, what did y'all think? Sorry for the really angsty bit at the end. The plot bunnies bit me and they wouldn't go away.

So, what will happen to Lyn now? Will she make it through the night? Will Ratchet find her in time? And will she ever forgive him? Find out in the next chapter.


	12. Dangerous conditions

Well, I just had to keep writing, because otherwise, I'm going to lose what I have in mind. In the last chapter, Ratchet's frustration got the better of him, and now Lyn is lost and alone in the mountains. Its cold and a storm is threatening to set in. the question is, can she be found in time?

Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't sue!

"Talking"

_Thinking_

: Comming:

. . . , , , ,. . . Change in place and time

. . . . . . . . . .Change in POV

* * *

Ratchet had searched the entire base for the human female. He was racked with worry. He hadn't meant to scare her; he didn't want to hurt her. She meant more to him than anyone else ever did, and that was after knowing her for almost two weeks! And he just had to ruin it. He prayed to Primus that she was alright. Finally, he came to the entrance of the base.

"Looking for someone, Ratchet?" The CMO span round, coming face to face with Bluestreak.

"I'm looking for Lyn. Have you seen her, Blue?" The silver and grey Ferrari shrugged. The CMO couldn't help but feel that he was scrutinising him.

"Last time I saw her, she was speeding out this way. I don't know exactly what you said or did, but she sure was upset. In fact, I'd say she was terrified. She completely ignored me and Hot Rod and Sam and Mikaela, and we were all waiting outside the med bay." Ratchet felt his wires twisting in panic. If anything had happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

"If I were you, Ratch, I'd find her quick. There's a storm brewing out there. I'll help you look, but you're doing the making up." Ratchet was slightly grateful for his company, but this was something he wanted to do alone. Not wanting to argue, he simply nodded, all but running out of the base. He had to find her, he just had to!

. . . . . . . . ., , , , , , , , ,. . . . . . . . .

Lyn came to almost ten minutes later. The wind had increased in ferocity, and it had gotten colder. On top of that, it had started to rain. She shivered violently, pulling herself up into a sitting position and looking at the angry rolling storm clouds. _If I get caught out here in that storm, I'll never make it back._ Rubbing her torso, trying to warm herself up, she hauled herself up onto her knees and, with every bit of energy she could gather, pushed herself onto her feet. The rain seemed to get heavier with every passing second, and lightning began to flash, followed by the deep throated rumble of thunder. The rain was icy cold against her already stone cold skin. She pulled the thin denim jacket about her, raising her shaking hands to lift the collar. Not that it helped much. By now, the rain was falling in fat drops, splashing on the ground and soaking her to the bone.

"Ok, Lyn. You've got to keep moving now. Keep yourself warm. The last thing you want is hypothermia. Especially when you're on your own." She started pacing the ground, trying to get feeling back into her body. Tiny rivulets were beginning to flow down the sides of the cliffs. "Oh no. I've got to keep moving, or I'll get caught if there's a flash-flood." The sudden ground-shaking rumble of thunder made her mind up for her. Trying her best to retrace her steps, Lyn made her way up the cliffs. It was so dark; her only source of light was the occasional flash of lightning. She stopped when she came to a dead end.

"Ok, ok, stay calm Lyn, breathe slowly, and just relax. Panicking is not going to do you any good right now, is it?" She turned and made her way back. A flash of light caught her eyes. She shook her head, trying to flick her hair out of her eyes. Droplets of water were sent flying from her drenched hair. It was probably just lightning, because it wasn't there anymore. Little did she know that it could have been the sign of rescue.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ratchet and Bluestreak searched the mountain paths in hopes that they could find any sign of the missing female. Bluestreak's less sturdy frame was constantly rocked and buffeted about by the building wind.

: Ratchet, I'm going to head back. I can't drive through this. I'll send Ironhide or someone out: he called over the comlink. Ratchet simply grunted in reply, too caught up in his search to actually pay much attention to the younger bot. Bluestreak turned, his headlights shining on a rock face below them. He stopped suddenly. He was sure that he had just seen something. He shone his headlights down on the rock face again. Nothing. _Must have been my imagination._ He turned and made his way back to base. Ratchet kept going, further and further up the mountain, keeping a careful track on where he was going, forming a map in his CPU. How he wished to have Hound's tracking capabilities. But he didn't want anyone else out with him. Not in this. And not since he was the one who caused her to run in the first place. The others would never look at him the same way again if they found out what he had done, that he'd nearly hurt a human. Not just any human, but one of their friends. If she was hurt, he would never forgive himself.

As he searched, the storm got increasingly worse. The tiny rivulets were now forming bigger streams, rivers in some areas. Pretty soon, the surface water was going to flood the area. He had to find Lyn. He was NOT going to give up! Primus damn it, he cared about her more than he ever cared about any femme on Cybertron! He didn't know why. Perhaps it was because she wasn't afraid to stand up to him, or she had some of his mannerisms. Maybe it was her bravery, how she cared about everyone, placing herself in danger to get to a fallen friend or a complete stranger. She was just like him, in so many ways. And yet, she was different. She had patience, and her bedside manner was almost impeccable. But it was the fact that she wasn't afraid to work, she wouldn't give up. She was just so…so…so determined. He just hoped that she was as strong as she was strong-minded, and that he found her before this storm finally caused him to turn back.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

The cold was beginning to become unbearable. Lyn's hair was plastered to her face with the rain, rainwater dripping into her eyes until she wasn't sure if they were tears falling or the rainwater itself. Maybe it was both. She hugged herself as she made her way over the treacherous rocks. She became increasingly afraid, and yet focused. One false move, one slip, and she'd go crashing down the side to certain death. Shivering, she made her steps very slow and very careful. She couldn't see in this dark. She stuck her foot out to step on what she thought was solid rock. A flash of lightning proved to be her saviour, illuminating the terrain for only a split second, but it was long enough for her to spot the near vertical drop that she would have plunged herself down if she hadn't pulled back in time. That was, until she stepped awkwardly onto the rock behind her. Her foot flew out from underneath her, sending her crashing down, winding her. She slid down the slope, rocks and stones stabbing and scraping at her back, falling with her. Using the reflexes the she had honed, she grabbed hold of a stone ledge, swinging herself round and grabbing hold of it with the other hand. She tried her best to find a foothold, but the rock was just too slippery with rainwater and loose dirt. She tried to haul herself up, but she wasn't strong enough. Instead, she let herself hang there by her arms, panting. The streams splashed down over her, soaking her already saturated body with more ice cold, dirty water. And, with horror, she realised that she was losing her grip.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ratchet transformed, kneeling down, trying to make his form smaller against the wind. He had sensed something falling. Something close by. He heard his comlink crackle to life and Ironhide's gruff voice sounded through it.

: Ratchet, where the slagging pit are you? Bluestreak said that you could use some help out here, and he looks pretty banged up!: Ratchet sighed. This was just what he needed.

: I'm in the mountains, 593.25 metres South East of the base:

: What in Primus' name are you doing out here, anyway?: Ratchet hesitated.

: Looking for Lyn: he replied quietly.

: What?:

: Looking for Lyn!: He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to calm his fear. The rain was not helping matters at all. It usually didn't bother him, but at the moment, it was so heavy that it clanged against his armour, making listening for any small noises particularly difficult. He closed his optic shutters, only for a moment, pulling himself together. _I'll be of no use to Lyn if I'm panicking._ That's when he heard it. It was faint against the wind in his audio receptors, over the heavy rain on his metal body, but it was there. A hoarse cry for help. And it was nearby.

: Ironhide, return to base and tell Wheeljack to get a bed ready:

: What for?:

: Just do it, Hide!: There was a grumble before the comlink was shut off. Right now, Ratchet didn't care. Scanning his surroundings, he carefully made his way towards the direction he had heard the cry of help come from, powerful headlights lighting up the path in front of him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lyn held on as much as she could. Her fingers were losing feeling from the cold, and she realised, with horror, that if they went numb, she would lose her grip and plummet to her death. She prayed to any God that was listening that she would survive. All she wanted was the chance to tell the CMO how she felt. She prayed that someone had heard her cry out above the wind and the thunder and the rain. Her feet scrabbled for a foothold, anything she could use, but to no avail. The stone was too slippery, too weak, and her surroundings were starting to flood. Flash floods rushed past her, engulfing the rock in their fury. She couldn't see them, but she could hear and feel them. The power of the flood waters were threatening to pull her down with them. She whimpered and cried as she tried her very level best to keep hold, screaming when one hand gave out. The thunder and lightning had died for now, but the wind was still buffeting her against the rocks, wrapping itself around her hand, trying to pull her off the rock face. She was suddenly aware of the sound of not only rushing floodwaters, but also of rocks. A rumbling that sounded like numerous landslides had started nearby, and she hoped against hope that it wasn't above her. But that was the least of her worries. She could feel her hand giving out. Gone was her calm paramedic façade, now she was terrified.

"Please! Somebody, help me!" she cried out, ignoring the burning pain of her dry, raw throat. She could taste blood, and realised that her throat was so raw that it was bleeding. Above the wind, she was sure that she could hear someone calling her name.

"Help me!" There it was again! She wasn't imagining it! Someone was coming for her!

"Lyn! Where are you?" Over the wind, she couldn't tell who it was. And she really didn't care. Because at that moment, her hand gave out.

Ratchet heard her scream, heard her shout for help. But he couldn't see her. The wind and the rain were annoying; he couldn't hear anything over them. Instead, he scanned the area, hoping and praying to Primus that he would be able to detect her body heat through this, the wet rocks shining in the beams of light. There! He'd found her! But she was falling.

"Lyn!"

Screaming, Lyn plummeted downwards, crashing against the rocks, splashing into the flood waters where they had joined to form one great, roaring river. She heard someone make an effort, as if they were leaping, but she wasn't in the right mind to pay it much attention. There were several rocks looming towards her, and she braced herself for the impact. She hit something, but it wasn't rock. It was metal. She felt herself being moved upwards, almost cradled against yet more warm metal.

"I've got you, Lyn. Just hold on," she heard a familiar voice say. But who was it? She was tired, she was aching all over and she was too cold to make any sort of rational thought process. She felt the metal lurch forward as if a giant being was leaping from the rock face. Weakly, she opened her eyes, looking up into bright, soothing blue optics. They impacted with the ground in a huge splash and the giant seemed to be running. She breathed deeply, looking up at the robot. Her eyes were blurry and unfocused as exhaustion set in. She caught the bright blue of the optics, even over the brighter beams of light shining from above her, gleaming off familiar yellow-green paint.

"Ratchet," she said hoarsely, slipping into unconsciousness.

Ratchet stared in horror when Lyn went limp in his hands. She'd said his name. Finally, he came to an area that seemed to have been sheltered from the storm, transforming and activating his holoform. He opened the back of his alt mode, pulling down the steps and gathered her up in his arms. He gasped as all sensors finally rested on her instead of their surroundings. She was so cold! And in the light of his alt mode, he could see that she was so pale, a slight blue tinge appearing around her lips. Performing a quick scan as he approached the back of his vehicular form, he became aware of the fact that her body heat was lower than usual. He prayed that she could hold on, just until he they got back to base.

"Please, Lyn. Stay with me. I'm so sorry."

Once he had placed her onto the stretcher, he deactivated his holoform and raced back to the base. Ratchet turned on his heaters to full blast while searching the net to find out what was wrong with her. One condition caught his eye- hypothermia. Her body temperature was low, and her heart and breathing rate had slowed down. Scanning the symptoms, he found that she was in the first stage- which meant she had a chance. He would have thought she was sleeping if she didn't look so pale. The journey to the med bay seemed to take forever, especially since the rainwater had flooded many of the pathways he had used to get there. But finally, they made it. Not bothering to transform, Ratchet sped into the med bay, siren blazing, almost crashing into a couple of mechs who failed to notice him in time. He ignored anything they shouted; his main priority was Lyn's welfare.

"Please, Primus, help me! She has to be alright!" he prayed and pleaded.

* * *

Will she forgive Ratchet? Will their friendship hold out? Find out in the next chapter!

Maybe a little Ratchet X Lyn fluff, we'll see.


	13. the start of things to come

Hey guys! I feel like I'm on a role! Lol! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story so far! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I have to say, I'm having a lot of fun writing it!

And now, on with the story. We left Ratchet praying to Primus that he could save Lyn, and save their friendship. After that OOCness in chapter 11, let's see if he can pull it back, shall we?

"Talking"

_Thinking_

:Comming:

Disclaimer: Don't own. Rightful property of Hasbro et al.

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Ratchet had never been so worried about anyone in his entire life. Even all of the worst casualties that he'd ever treated before put together didn't match up to this. Not even close. He felt like he was going to go offline at any moment.

_Calm down Ratchet _he berated himself. _Lyn needs you now, more than ever._ He'd searched the internet for the best possible treatment of Lyn's condition. He had to keep her warm. Laying down blankets, clothes and towels next to the human sized bed that Wheeljack had set up (with help, courtesy of Sam and Mikaela) he activated his holoform and gently picked up the young woman. She was still as cold as ice. _I have to work fast._ Acting on impulse alone, Ratchet began to quickly undress the female until she was in nothing but her underwear, gently and carefully patting her skin dry all the way. He seemed to take no notice that there was a practically naked female in the med bay; he was far to intent on righting the wrong that he had caused. In fact, he was so absorbed in his work that he barely heard or even sensed someone else enter the med bay.

"Ratch? Need any help?" The medic's holoform looked quickly to the teenager and then back to the unconscious paramedic. It was only then that he realised just how little she was wearing. He blushed furiously, and quickly threw a couple of the blankets over the older woman.

"Erm," he cleared his throat, pulling his more…professional thoughts to the front of his mind.

"Mikaela, I need you to help me. She's suffering from hypothermia, and I…"

"…you need someone to dress her?" Mikaela finished for him. Again, the CMO blushed, cleared his throat and nodded curtly. Mikaela suppressed the giggle that was threatening to form. She nodded and hurried over. Ratchet quickly returned to his bipedal mode, checking that he had everything he needed to help warm the female up. He scanned the net for more information.

_Fresh dry warm clothes; check. Towels and blankets; check. Warm, sweet drink…where the slagging Pit am I going to get that!_ When he returned, Lyn had been completely dried off and was now in dry, warmed clothing, lying in the bed, and covered with blankets. Mikaela was searching through a bag that Ratchet hadn't noticed her bring in. The hi-vis green medic watched as she pulled out a flask and unscrewed the top of it.

"Mikaela, what is that?" he asked curiously, once again activating his holoform.

"It's warm milk. I've added some extra sugar into it. It should help." Ratchet sighed, quickly helping her to lift the unconscious female up into a sitting position. Mikaela tapped her shoulder slightly and spoke softly to the paramedic.

"Lyn? Lyn, if you can hear me, I need you to drink this, ok? You don't have to wake up, just swallow." Slowly and carefully, she poured a very small amount of the warm liquid passed the paramedic's lips, speaking softly and encouragingly the whole time. Lyn must have heard because within seconds, her throat bobbed and the milk disappeared down her throat.

"That's it. Good girl. You need to drink more, I know it's sweet, but it'll do you good." Lyn unconsciously drank a bit more before Mikaela replaced the lid. Some of the colour had come back into her cheeks. Ratchet performed a quick scan on her vitals. She was stable. In fact, she was sleeping.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked her as he gently pulled Lyn into a recovery position.

"My mom did this for my dad once when he was ill. He'd been out all night and he was suffering the same thing as Lyn." Ratchet nodded a little. Lyn coughed slightly, mumbling something.

"What did she say? Ratchet?" Mikaela looked at the medic when he didn't answer. He was smiling softly, and what looked like tears sparkling in his holoforms eyes. Mikaela nodded in understanding. Ever since Ratchet had upgraded the Autobots' holoforms, with Hound's help, she couldn't help but notice the many emotions that their robot forms allowed them to hide.

"Will she be alright?" she asked. Ratchet, pulling himself from his reverie, performed a scan.

"Her body temperature has risen slightly, but it's still a little lower than I like. I'll have to keep her warm." Mikaela nodded, turning to leave. She turned back round to him.

"Another person's body temperature can help, you know?" Ratchet looked up sharply.

"What?" Mikaela sighed.

"Using another's body temperature. It'll help warm her up. You'll figure it out." Smiling at the confused look on the holoform's face, Mikaela exited the med bay.

Use another's body heat? What did the human female mean by that? Ratchet knelt down next to the sleeping paramedic. Some of her hair had fallen over her face. Without thinking, Ratchet gently pushed it out of the way. In doing so, his fingertips brushed against her forehead. She grumbled something, shifting slightly. The medic smiled, placing the back of his hand against her forehead as he had witnessed the humans do when one of their own was sick. He was actually surprised to feel her temperature. That drink did seem to have done her good. Speaking of which, Mikaela had left it by the side of the bed. Obviously it was there to be used. He sighed melancholically.

"Lyn, I hope you can forgive me. I should never have lost my temper with you. It wasn't your fault. It was mine. It's all my stupid fault that you're in this mess now. I'm so very sorry, Lyn. I really am. And I will make it up to you. I promise I will." His thoughts suddenly went to the other Autobots. What would they think of him now? What would they do? What would Optimus do? He'd be kicked off the team, surely! He didn't notice that Lyn's eyes had flickered open while he was lost in thought.

"Rat-chet?" she asked weakly. Ratchet looked quickly down to the female.

"Lyn, you should be sleeping. How do you feel?" he asked softly. She shifted slightly, but was still too tired to actually move from her position.

"Tired. And I have a headache." Ratchet smiled softly.

"Well, that's what you get for running out in the cold and the rain. You're a medic, Lyn. You should have known better than that. What happened out there, anyway?" The paramedic simply shook her head. She didn't want to go into that right now. The medic sighed and bowed his head.

"Ratchet?" her voice was quiet as sleep began taking her over again. Ratchet looked at her, his bright blue eyes meeting her bright green ones. He found he couldn't look into them without an overwhelming feeling of shame wash over him.

"I forgive you." The absolute sincerity in that one sentence made him look towards her. She forgave him! After he'd almost hurt her, made her flee the base in absolute terror and put her life in danger, she still forgave him! Ratchet suddenly felt very humble towards her. He was about leave when he felt her hand hold his arm, almost as if preventing him from going.

"Please, Ratchet, stay with me? I don't want to be on my own." Her voice was still hoarse and quiet, but there was enough meaning there to make strong. Unconsciously, Ratchet stroked her pale cheek. While they were tired, her eyes shone slightly. There was something there, behind her eyes, something she wanted to say but just couldn't. Ratchet sighed and nodded.

"Alright, but just until you go to sleep." Lyn nodded slowly. Pulling back the covers, Ratchet slipped in, making sure to keep at least one of the thinner sheets between them. Lyn instinctly snuggled into him, making the battle worn medic blush even more. She was still cold, but only slightly. He threw his arms around her, pulling her as close as he could until she was lying comfortably on his small, yet toned bicep. He carefully rubbed up and down her back with his hand, hoping to warm her up. It seemed to work, because within minutes, she was asleep. And the normally roughly spoken medic couldn't help but let that rare smile he had seemed to have developed over the past few weeks creep over his features as he too, drifted into a much needed recharge.

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Phew! This took a while! Sorry for the wait, guys, and sorry it's a bit short. I'll try to make 'em longer next time. Hope you enjoyed!


	14. Forgiven

Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while since I last updated. I've been really busy with Uni work and everything.

I wanna take this moment and say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic. It means a lot to me that so many of you are enjoying it. Keep it up, guys!

Right, mushy stuff out of the way, on with the story!

Disclaimer: All rightful property of Hasbro et al!

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Ratchet woke with a start, feeling something shift beside him. And then he remembered; Lyn. Looking down upon the sleeping female, he smiled softly. Performing a quick scan, he noticed that something was off. Her temperature had risen, which was a relief, but it was that that was worrying him. She'd developed a slight fever. Cursing slightly, he pulled off a couple of the blankets, pushing them to the side. She shifted again and coughed slightly before settling back down. He sighed, hoping against hope that everything would be quiet today. Primus knows she needed the rest………………no such luck. At that moment, the med bay doors slammed opened and two very loud, very annoying twins barged in. The racket woke the paramedic up with a start. She instantly regretted it, squeezing her eyes shut as a headache ensued. The twins suddenly stopped talking. When Lyn opened her eyes, she saw them looking at her. But why? She felt something shift next to her. Turning her head, her flushed complexion burned a darker red. Ratchet was in her bed.

"Well, well, well, looky here, Sunny!" Sideswipe smiled, or at least tried to smile, triumphantly.

"We don't wanna know what you two were up to last night," Sunstreaker added, a sly grin on his face.

"What the slagging Pit do you two want?" Ratchet growled, his holoform returning to his robotic form. Lyn didn't say anything.

"Aw, don't be like that, Doc! We just wanted to come and see if Gorgeous was doing alright. But, it appears you're doing that pretty well for us." Sunny smirked at his brother's vain attempt to conceal his jealousy.

"Look; no matter what the slag you two think, nothing happened last night."

"Sure, we believe ya, Hatchet." The CMO growled low in his throat. Cycling air through his intakes as a sigh, he straightened up and looked the two mechs in the optics.

"Are you injured?" he asked calmly; a little too calmly. The Twins looked at each other. They knew where this was going.

"Well…" Sideswipe started.

"…I wouldn't say we were exactly injured, but…"

"Then get out."

"But Ratch…"

"…we only wanted to see Lynx!" Sunstreaker protested indignantly, a very similar expression on his face to the one on his brother's. Lyn giggled slightly, which soon turned into a cough, at how they tried their level best to talk the medic round. Her coughing caught the attention of the mechs. Before Ratchet or even Sunstreaker could react, Sideswipe was immediately by her side, activating his holoform.

"Whoa, hey, easy there. What happened to you last night, anyway?"

"What do you mean last night?" Ratchet asked, feeling slightly nervous, but not letting it show.

"Well, Blue told us that she'd done a runner and got caught in that storm." Sunstreaker replied. Ratchet nodded, turning to Lyn. He caught Sideswipe glaring at him.

"That's not all he told us." Lyn looked up to the medic and then to the red Lamborghini's holoform.

"So c'mon, Gorgeous, what happened last night?" Lyn looked to the hi-vis green medic. She'd never seen such anxiety in anyone's eyes before.

"Nothing. I just got scared, that's all. I'm not exactly used to being in a war situation."

"Oh yeah? So what about all the commotion Blue heard? Hot Rod was there too." He was once again staring hard at the medic.

"Just call it a 'medic's tiff', ok? I'm the same if someone invades my area while I'm working on someone. Like I said, nothing happened. We were both pretty stressed." She caught sight of the venomous look the red warrior was giving the medic. "Look, if you two were medics, you would understand." The irritation in her voice caused Sideswipe to stop and think about what she said. With a sigh, he looked to her.

"You know, I'll never understand you medics." Lyn smiled tiredly. Sideswipe's holoform disappeared, returning to his robot mode. Lyn lay back down in the bed.

"Right, the both of you, out now. Let Lyn have her rest... Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" The Twins had taken hold of Ratchet's arms and lead him, quite physically, from the med bay. Lyn, too tired to actually be concerned, let herself drift back to sleep.

--

Ratchet found himself pinned to the wall outside the med bay by two very serious Lamborghini Twins. And that was the scariest part about the whole thing- the Twins were never serious.

"What in the Pit do you think you're doing?!" he barked. Sideswipe gave him the hardest glare the medic had ever seen, which even made the battle-hardened and irritable medic flinch.

"Now listen up, Doc. You'd better take good care of Lyn, 'cause if you don't…."

"…..we won't be very happy. And you know what happens when we're not very happy," Sunstreaker finished.

"Are you threatening me?" The medic's optics narrowed accusingly.

"We're warning you, Ratch. After whatever happened in the med bay, we wanna make sure that Lyn isn't going to get hurt. Right?" The CMO, for once, actually felt extremely threatened by the Twin Terrors. It wasn't everyday that they were this serious about something.

"What the slag brought this on, anyway?" the medic growled. The Twins looked at each other and then back to their captive. It was Sideswipe who answered.

"It's obvious that Lyn likes you, and no amount of flirting on my part will change that. So instead, I'm gonna be a real good friend. Both me and Sunny. And we always look out for our friends. Right Sunny?"

"That's right, bro."

"Right. So, I'll be blunt with you, Ratch. You hurt her, we hurt you. Got it?" It didn't seem to matter to them that they were threatening a higher ranking officer, and the infamous medic no less, but Ratchet knew what they were talking about. They were, after all, from a pretty rough and tumble family, and one that you didn't mess with. So he merely nodded.

"Promise?"

"Of course, Sideswipe. Sunstreaker. I won't, and would never, harm her. But why are you telling me this?" The Twins laughed, letting the medic go. Ratchet rubbed the tops of his arms. The Twins had held onto him hard enough to dent the metal slightly.

"Oh, come off it, Doc! Surely you know what we're talking about?" Sideswipe stated, while laughing.

"We've seen you two together. You were practically made for each other!"

"Yeah! C'mon, Hatch, think about it. That lady loves ya!"

"And you love her. Right?" Sunstreaker raised an optic ridge questioningly at the medic. Ratchet was speechless.

"So, you make it right with her. I mean it, Doc. She's chosen the better 'bot. Don't let her down." With that, they both turned and retreated down the hall. Ratchet simply stood where he was, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. Shaking his head, he re-entered the med bay.

--

Lyn was half awake when Ratchet came back into the med bay. He had a troubled look on his face. Slowly, she sat up again, trying to ignore the aches and pains in her bruised body.

"Ratchet? What's the matter?" she asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Ratchet sighed and activated his holoform, walking towards her as he did so.

"Lyn, you know I would never hurt you, right?" he asked. Lyn looked confused.

"Of course you wouldn't. It's not in your nature. What's the matter, Ratch?" The medic sighed again and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"What…what happened yesterday was completely uncalled for. I should never have gotten angry with you, especially since all you were doing was trying to help. And, I don't know what I was doing when I threw that wrench." He noticed how Lyn shivered slightly at the memory. "I could have severely injured you! I'm so sorry, Lyn, I really am." He bowed his head in shame, only looking up when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright, Ratchet. You don't have to apologise."

"But I do. You could have been killed out there, and it would have been my fault! I caused you to run away, I scared you into running out of the base. It was my fault, Lyn, it was all my fault…" his voice broke as he bowed his head again, turning it away slightly so that she couldn't see the tears in his eyes. Lyn sighed, coughing slightly, and moved up towards him.

"In all honesty, Ratch, I knew what would happen. I knew I would get in the way. I tried telling Mikaela and Sam that, but they were adamant that I came down to see you. And…" she paused, pulling the blankets around her. She was developing a cold, she could feel it. The pause seemed to catch his attention, as he had turned back to her. She sighed at the tears in the holoform's eyes.

"…it wasn't just you that caused me to run. I mean, ok, to be truthful, some of it was you, but not for the reasons you think."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I've…I've been really stressed lately. I'm like you Ratch; I keep things bottled up for far too long. In away, you helped me, Ratch, more than you'll ever know." She smiled at him. He didn't smile back, still looking distressed. Lyn sighed again. "I suppose, what I'm trying to say is, well, I forgive you." That came as a surprise to the medic.

"You forgive me? After how I nearly hurt you?"

"Yes."

"Really? How can…." He never finished his sentence as at that moment, Lyn leaned forward and placed her fingers over his lips, silencing him.

"Ratchet, I said I forgive you, and I mean what I say." The intensity of the meaning in her voice, coupled with the strength of emotion in her eyes silenced the medic better than anything ever could. There was silence, such an overwhelming silence that seemed to ring around them with the emotion. Lyn felt her heart pounding in her chest, not sure if it was from anxiety, excitement or something else. All she knew was that it seemed to last an eternity.

"Ratchet, I…" she couldn't find, nor form, the words, feeling herself becoming lost in those deep, bright blue eyes that mirrored his optics. Ratchet leaned forward, cupping her cheek in his hand. They said nothing, neither of them wanting to spoil the moment, and neither knowing what to say. The air itself seemed to be ablaze, and finally, the invisible wall between them crashed down with Ratchet pulling her towards him and Lyn meeting him half way. Slowly, almost unsurely, they closed the gap between them, their faces so close that their noses were brushing. Lyn gulped. And finally, in a blaze of glory, their lips met. They melted into each other in a passionate, fiery clinch that neither wanted to end. All the sorrow they each had ever felt, all the fear, the anguish, the loss, everything coupled with the complete sincerity of the feelings they felt for each other, but neither had been brave enough to admit, seemed to pour into that one kiss, heating it and intensifying until it was more than they had ever felt before. The intensity of it brought tears to Lyn's eyes, sent shivers down her spine and sent heat through her whole body. And then, all too soon, it was over. They broke apart, coming up for air, both of them panting as if they had ran a great distance.

"I love you, Ratchet," Lyn sighed, finally catching her breath. Ratchet smiled; relief and so many other emotions washing over his features.

"I love you too, Lyn." And they fell together once again.

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And that's 14. Once again, I know it's short, but after that, how do I write more without another chapter?

Hope you all enjoyed it. I know I did. And I'm the one writing it! Lol!

Just a small warning now- one of the next few chapters may get, how shall we say, a little more steamy. I'll warn you when that chapter comes around.


	15. Back to Work

OMG it's been so long since I updated!! I'm really sorry about that, guys! I've got loads of work on at the moment, so I haven't exactly had time to update any of my stories.

Well, here's chapter 15. Hope y'all like it! Oh, and just so you know, I'm bringing in some new characters, for the simple fact that as a paramedic, Lyn needs a team. I thought I would introduce them here.

Disclaimer: don't own!

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It was time to go back to work. Lyn knew that she couldn't stay off any longer. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked around. She smiled when she saw the Autobot medic still deep in recharge on the berth next to her own bed. They had both decided to move her into his quarters, especially after their 'confessions'. It also helped him to keep an eye, or optic, on her, even though she was feeling much better than she had been. But now it was that dreaded time. If she stayed off any longer, Dylan would fire her for sure. They had discussed this amongst themselves the night before, and Ratchet had offered, quite forcibly, to take her to the hospital. In fact, he would stay with her the whole day. Scrambling out of bed as quietly as she could, Lyn somehow managed to climb up on to the CMO's berth, stroking her hand gently along the length of his body as she carefully walked over to his faceplate. She grinned as he shivered slightly under her touch in his sleep. Stroking his cheek, she softly kissed it, trying to decide how she would wake him up. She finally decided that rapping on his armour was the best course of action.

"Don't even think about it." The paramedic jumped, looking at the medic as he on-lined one of his optics.

"How did you know?" she asked. Ratchet chuckled, onlining his other optic and sitting up slightly.

"Lyn Xanders, you seem to forget that I am a highly evolved robot with highly evolved senses." Lyn rolled her eyes, playfully hitting his arm.

"Don't give me that, Mister 'Highly evolved robot with highly evolved senses'!" she stated, mocking him. The CMO cocked an optic ridge at her.

"Are you mocking me?" he asked; his voice steady. Lyn knew that expression all too well.

"Oh dear." She ran, not making it to the edge of the berth before being grabbed by two strong arms. She squealed in shock.

"You didn't answer my question, Lyn Xanders. Are you mocking me?" He sounded serious, but Lyn could hear the playful undertone.

"Maybe?" she smiled innocently. She exploded into laughter as the CMO pressed his fingers gently into her sides, managing to find her most sensitive spots.

"I'll teach you to mock me!" he growled low, keeping up his relentless attack. Lyn couldn't do anything; she was trapped in his arms with no escape.

"Ok, OK…. Mercy!" she squealed. Ratchet relented, keeping her held in his arms until she had recovered. Slackening his grip, he allowed her to turn to face him.

"You won't do that again, will you?" he asked, smirking slightly.

"I don't know, maybe?" she smiled sweetly, causing the battle hardened CMO to simply sigh and shake his head.

"Whatever will I do with you?" he asked with a sigh. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Lyn looked as if she was mulling it over.

"Oh, I can think of a few things. But we don't have time now. We've gotta go to work." She smiled seductively, reaching up to kiss him. He laughed low in his throat, meeting her half way.

It didn't last long. Lyn reluctantly pulled away, breaking the kiss.

"I have to go to work," she said a little breathlessly. "Otherwise I'll lose my job for sure." Ratchet grumbled in disappointment. Lyn smiled.

"Hey, it's not as if you're not going to see me. You're taking me, remember." She winked. And then she looked doubtful.

"What's the matter?" the CMO asked.

"Stupid Decepticon ruined my uniform, didn't he? I'm going to have to borrow one until I can get my own." Ratchet's holoform disappeared. Looking up at the giant robot, Lyn saw him pull something out of nowhere.

"You won't need to." Lyn looked in absolute shock as Ratchet lowered his hand to reveal a brand new, pristine white uniform.

"Huh? What? Where?" she stammered.

"I always carry spares, especially since I started helping around the hospital. It should fit you."

"Oh, Ratch! Thank you!" his holoform appeared again as the paramedic leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly. After a moment, the H2 Hummer pushed her away.

"Go and get ready. I won't look." He remembered the first time he'd told her to change. That was when he had to change her brace. He was, and he was sure that she was, too, grateful that she didn't need to wear it anymore. She was right in what she had said- she had a very fast metabolism. Five minutes later, they were on the road. Lyn was in the passenger side of the ambulance, while Ratchet's holoform sat in the driver's seat. Lyn had already phoned through to let Dylan, or Mr Carter, know that she was well enough to come in. he sounded indifferent, something she was quite happy about. "Well, he may not sound happy about the news, but he's not angry, either," she'd said. Something which Ratchet agreed with.

They were barely through the door when Lyn was practically barrelled over.

"LYN!! We missed ya girl!!" Lyn struggled to maintain her balance as a very happy young woman clung to her like a limpet. Lyn chuckled softly.

"Good to see you too, Shannon. How are you?" The younger girl smiled a bright white smile.

"I'm very well, thanks boss!" Ratchet looked between the two women, lost as to what was going on.

"Boss?" he asked. Lyn looked to him.

"Yeah, she's our team leader! She's the paramedic of our team."

"I see. So who is the rest of your team?" he asked, turning to the paramedic.

"Well…"

"Yo, Lyn!" A tall, dark skinned man walked over to their small group.

"Hey there Jack! How's it going?" she asked, high fiving the new comer.

"Goin' good, lil' lady! Heard you weren't feelin' too great."

"Yeah, all better now though."

"Yeah. Hey, you met the Doc, then?"

"Hmm?" she looked to Ratchet. He smiled and nodded to Jack.

"You know, you still ain't told us why they call you 'Ratchet'. Must be that good, huh?" Ratchet laughed.

"For me to know." Jack shook his head. To anyone else, his height would have looked daunting, but Lyn knew that he had a really soft heart.

"Well, Ratch, this is practically all of my team. Except…hey, where's Joseph?" she asked, looking around.

"Joe's off sick," Jack stated.

"Not again! What is it this time? And please don't tell me it's another hangover." The other two said nothing, and just looked at each other.

"It is, isn't it? I swear that guy's blood will be nothing but pure ethanol. Right, then we'll need another ambulance driver."

"Allow me. My, er, ambulance is parked out front. Remember, Lyn?" Lyn smiled.

"Ok, what are we on? Patrol?"

"How did you ever guess?" Shannon replied with a giggle.

"Oh, just a lucky guess. Ok, everyone. Suit up and let's go!" the two new comers separated for a moment, gone to grab the necessaries.

"So, what are their jobs as part of your team?" Ratchet asked.

"Well, Shannon, believe it or not, is an assistant, she's completing her training to be a technician, and Jack is an Ambulance technician. And then Joe, when he ever shows up, is the driver, and I'm the paramedic."

"And you get the more complicated jobs." Lyn laughed.

"That's right." Ratchet 'hmm'ed and nodded. He cast a sideways glance at the brown haired, fair skinned paramedic. She'd pulled her hair up into a tight pony tail, with a few straggles of hair falling over her face. Her bright green eyes seemed to shine with determination and excitement, her delicate but strong jaw almost set in place. Slyly, he slipped his arm around her waits, pulling her towards him. She only just realised what he was doing.

"Ratchet! Not in the work place!" she hissed good-humouredly. He merely chuckled, quickly letting go of her as the other two came back over. Shannon eyed them knowingly while Jack beamed a brilliant smile.

"What are you two gawping at?" Lyn asked, a smile in her voice. "C'mon, let's get going." Lyn and Ratchet exited the building first, the two other ambulance members smiling.

"Well, I can say one thing 'bout our lil' Lynx, it's 'bout time!" Jack smiled.

"Long time coming. C'mon, before she bites our heads off."

Patrol started out slowly. Ratchet's holoform was sat in the front driving his 'ambulance', Jack sat at his side. The two women were sat in the treating area. Shannon was going through everything that had happened with whilst the paramedic hadn't been there.

"So, Joseph hasn't been on for practically the whole time I've been off? And he hasn't called?"

"Except for this morning, yeah pretty much." Lyn shook her head, accompanied with an exasperated sigh.

"When he gets back, I'm having words with that man." She looked back to the younger woman. "How has you're training been going?" she asked. Shannon shrugged.

"Ok, I guess." The paramedic noticed the dead pan tone.

"What's the matter, Shan?"

"Huh? Nothing, why?" Lyn was not convinced, but she didn't have time to press it. The radio crackled into life.

"Rescue vehicle RT1, do you copy, over?" Lyn reached forwards, scooping the secondary radio out of its holster.

"Go ahead, over."

"Immediate assistance required down Hoop Street at the site of a two car RTA. Suspected one major casualty. Over."

"Thanks Control, we're on our way. Over and out." Ratchet instantly sped up, sirens wailing, taking them as fast as possible to the scene. Lyn and Shannon quickly got everything ready, pulling gloves on as they screeched to halt at the crash site.

"Ok everyone, do your best. Let's go." Lyn called, instantly becoming determined.

The cars in front of them were a complete mess. Jack stepped out next to Shannon, who was practically frozen. She didn't expect anything like this! Lyn and Ratchet were already at the casualties, seemingly undeterred by the fact that the vehicles looked like they had been slashed to shreds instead of crashed.

"C'mon, Shan, I'm right here next to ya." Jack said trying to console the scared young woman. She nodded, walking slowly over to the two medics.

"Jack, this isn't right. Something isn't right. A two car RTA doesn't cause this mess! Crashed cars do not look like they have been torn and shredded!" Jack looked around. She was right. Bits of metal were strewn across the road, and the cars themselves were hardly recognisable. The male drivers themselves were much further back, almost as if they had jumped free of their vehicles before they had collided. One was conscious, suffering scrapes and a broken arm. Ratchet was seeing to him. Lyn's casualty, on the other hand, was out cold, blood seeping from a wound on his head. She turned to the two attendants.

"Guys, get me the spinal board." Jack nodded, recognising the urgency in her voice, and cleared the distance between Shannon and the ambulance in three strides. Shannon finally plucked up the courage to step forward.

"Wh-what do you want me to do, Lyn?" she asked. Lyn noted the fear in her voice.

"Go over to Ratchet and help him out. Don't worry, Jack and I will sort this." Almost immediately after she said that, the tall man came striding over with the stiff board under his arm. Shannon did as told.

"She's terrified, Lynx." Jack said as he laid the board down next to the casualty.

"I know. I'll sort her once we've got this guy to the hospital. Shannon! On second thought, we need a bit of help with this!" The dark haired girl nodded and began walking over. Lyn positioned herself at the man's head.

"Not just that, though."

"Hm?"

"She said that this wasn't like any two car RTA, and I have to say, lil' Lynx, I agree with her." Lyn nodded.

"We can't think about that now. This guy's our main priority." Shannon came over, positioning herself at the side of the casualty, seemingly overcoming her fear at the moment.

"That's another thing. Where are the cops? Where are the bystanders? Surely someone must have been here?" Lyn looked round. Shannon was right. There were no police cars, no press, no bystanders, nothing. It was the height of the afternoon. Where was everybody? Shrugging off her sudden feeling of unease, she motioned to her team to help her move the casualty, giving instructions to perform the log roll.

Pretty soon, both casualties were in the ambulance, ready to head off. Lyn took one last look around before turning towards the rescue vehicle. And then something made her stop. Something she hoped that she would never see again.

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Dun dun dun!! What is it that she saw? Is Shannon right about the crash? Something isn't quite right about it. But you'll have to wait until next chapter to find out what!!

Please read and review! As always, constructive criticism is welcome.


	16. Attacked

Hey there all! Ok, first of all, I'd like to thank Rapier 3 for correcting me on some of things I wrote in the last chapter. Many thanks for that dude!

And secondly, I'd like to thank everyone for reading. Its really cool that so many of you are enjoying it. Thanks a lot guys for your support, kind words and advice. I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me. (thumbs up to everyone).

And now, on with the show.

Disclaimer: don't own! Please don't sue!

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Lyn stared in wide-eyed horror at the figure in front of her. She only just had time to shout a warning to everyone before she had to leap out of the way of a huge, clawed silver hand shot at towards her. Running as fast as she could, she dived into the back of Ratchet's alt mode, yelling at him to drive. The mech screamed in rage, transforming and taking off after them.

"Ratchet!! Call for help!!" Lyn shouted to the front.

"Already have! Help's on its way!" Shannon looked up from the casualty she was treating.

"Lyn, what's going on?" she asked, fear apparent in her voice. Lyn shook her head.

"Let's just say that we have trouble. I'll explain later." Ratchet's frame rocked as something impacted with the road next them, exploding. Lyn quickly sat next to the unconscious casualty on the backboard. The she checked his vitals, glad that they were at a stable level. A high pitched, harsh screaming over head alerted her to incoming jet engines.

"Ratch! Get us out of here!" she shouted. Ratchet growled before shouting back in response.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" It didn't seem to make a difference, as they swerved just in time to stop hitting the, now bipedal, silver jet's legs.

"You can't escape me, Autobot! You're little human friend must pay for making me look like a fool!" the Aerial Commander screamed.

"Lyn!" Shannon squeaked quietly, looking out of the window. "Wh-what is that thing?" Jack just stared in silent horror at the looming form of Starscream as he stood in front of them. Ratchet growled angrily. He was helpless. There were only a few things he hated the most in the Universe, and being helpless was one of them. With the human's in his alt mode, he couldn't risk transforming. He was a sitting duck. So he did the only thing he could, drove at top speed right at the Aerial Commander's legs, ramming into them and causing him to topple screaming in unholy rage, and shock, to the ground. Ratchet sped past him, hoping against hope that the others would get there in time. He had to get the two injured humans to the hospital, but not while Starscream was so Pit-bent on getting his revenge on the paramedic. He wouldn't allow it. There was an awful scream behind them as the F-22 transformed and took off after them.

Lyn was scared. She didn't like being scared. It clouded her judgment, and right now she had two people who needed her help. Thankfully, the conscious casualty had been put on analgesic gas for the pain, and Shannon was trying her best to take both her and his minds off the fact that a 25 foot killer robot was after them.

"It wasn't us that caused the crash," he said, gulping. His arm was wrapped in a sling, a broad-folded triangular bandage tied round the top of his arm and body, keeping it from moving. He glanced outside. "It-it was that thing out there!" Shannon looked to Lyn, asking for help. Summoning up her courage, even as the frame rocked and shook with the explosions outside, the noise threatening to deafen them, she asked him everything they needed to know.

"What happened?" The black haired man looked fitfully out to the jet that kept coming into view, firing missiles that Ratchet only just dodged.

"Th-that thing appeared. I leapt out of my car as it changed into that-that monster out there. I saw the other guy do the same, but he hit his head. Then that thing grabbed my car as if it was nothing and just tore into it! Just shredded it like it was paper! That guy's car rammed into his leg and he did the same to that too!" Lyn never managed to ask anymore as the sound of metal shifting over metal sound over the din outside, followed by to horrendously loud war cries. She knew immediately who it was, and smiled to herself. The Twins had arrived.

"Its ok guys, help's at hand." Slamming his 'foot' onto the accelerator, Ratchet sped off toward the Hospital. But not without noticing that they were still being followed. Lyn's ears picked up at the sound of a very familiar siren.

"Oh no."

The Twins were too busy with Starscream to notice the Police Saleen drive quickly past them. Until it was a good few metres past them.

"Slag, Sunny! 'Cade's after them!" Sideswipe yelled.

"You go after him; I got this sorry son of a glitch!" Sunstreaker growled, pinning the silver mech down and hammering his fist into his face.

"Just leave some for me, will ya!"

"Only if you leave some of 'Cade for me!"

"Done deal!" Transforming, Sideswipe sped off.

"Now where were we?" Starscream's optics actually widened in horror as he tried to reach for his gun. It was just out of the way. Sunstreaker shot at it, rendering it unusable. Starscream managed to kick the yellow warrior off him, getting up and making ready to take off. Sunstreaker leapt, grabbing him and throwing him back to the ground.

"Just you and me now, Screamer. So let's dance!"

Sideswipe drove as fast he could, hoping against hope that he was fast enough to catch the Decepticon before he did any damage. Pulling up to the side of the Saleen, he rammed into him sending him off the road and onto a smaller lane, leaving Ratchet free to speed to the Hospital. The medic found himself promising that he would go easy on the Twins when they got injured next time. Well, maybe, as long as it wasn't because of something stupid. He hoped that they would survive. This was twice that they'd saved his hide. Speaking of which, he spotted the black GMC racing down the road at top speed, with some of the others at his tail. _Trust 'Hide to not be able to stay out of a fight._

Ratchet, finally, had a clear run to the Hospital. Lyn had already called in to say they were on their way. Once they pulled up, it was obvious that they were waited for. Other medics rushed out, taking the casualties off their hands, stopping only to look at the damage done to Ratchet's exterior. Once they were clear, Lyn, Shannon, Jack and Ratchet's holoform got out of the vehicle, inspecting it. Ratchet hissed; to the others it sounded like it was in response to the damage done, but Lyn knew better.

"Ratch, you ok?" she asked quietly. He nodded a little, grimacing as a sharp pain shot through him.

"Nothing I can't handle. I wasn't expecting them to attack." Lyn looked to the other ambulance attendants.

"Are you two ok?" she asked.

"Lyn, what were those things? Those giant…monsters!" Shannon asked, clearly shaken. Lyn looked pleadingly to Ratchet. Should she tell them? She could jeopardise Ratchet and the Autobots if she did. But she couldn't lie to them.

"They attacked Mission City. Remember when it was on the news?"

"C'mon, Lyn, that was all sorted out. It was some terrorist group who'd created some form of robot, that's all."

"You really believe that, Jack?" The sincerity of her voice stopped the man in his tracks.

"Honestly, I don't know what to believe." With that, he and Shannon turned and went into the Hospital. Lyn looked pleadingly to the holoform of her new giant mech boyfriend. Ratchet sighed.

"Go after them."

"You're injured."

"I'll survive. They're your friends, your team mates. Go after them."

"But, Ratch…"

"I'll heal. I'll be back here to pick you up later on. And if it isn't me, it'll be one of the others." Lyn looked unconvinced. "Trust me." She sighed.

"Alright. Take care of yourself." Ratchet's holoform disappeared and he slowly pulled out of the hospital. Lyn couldn't tear her eyes away from him. His whole frame was plagued by dents and charred metal. Even if Starscream had missed him, the explosions certainly didn't. With a sigh, she headed into the Hospital.

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And that's that chapter. Hope you like it. Remember to RnR! 


	17. The Agreement

Hey there everyone. How's it going? Going good here. Sorry I haven't updated very much. I've got loads to do with exams and essays and such. Anyway, here's chapter 17!

Just so you know, this is one's more of a Lyn talking to 'Jumper Chapter. It just popped into my head and I couldn't get it out. I think it fits in quite nicely. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own!

"Talking"

_Thinking_

:Comming:

:

Lyn was worried. She hated being worried. Firstly, her team and best friends weren't talking to her properly, and on top of all that she expected the Aerial Commander to be everywhere. It made her jumpy. She had tried talking to Shannon and Jack about what had happened, but had been told in no uncertain terms that they would only discuss it if she agreed to tell them what was going on. So to say that she was between a rock and a hard place was an understatement. She sighed again as she waited for the CMO to pick her up from the hospital. The rest of the day had been quiet, not that that was any good in the paramedic's books; it meant that she wasn't doing anything that would take her mind off what had happened. The day had dragged. So, she was extremely thankful when her ride came to pick her up, only to find it wasn't Ratchet.

"Cliffjumper?" she asked as the red Ferrari pulled up.

"I was told to come and get ya. Ratch's still pretty banged up."

"What about the Twins?" Lyn asked, climbing into the passenger side.

"What about em?" Lyn closed the door and turned to the black haired holoform in the driver's seat.

"Are they alright?" she asked. Cliffjumper merely shrugged, clearly not caring. Lyn sighed, resting her chin in her hand and laying her elbow on the side panel. This was going to be a long journey.

"Optimus said to take you straight to the base. We're not to stop anywhere." Cliffjumper stated after a while.

"Huh? But, what about, you know, spare clothes? I can't very well stay in my uniform all the time." She spotted the sideways glance the holoform gave her. Again he shrugged.

"Dunno, Optimus'll sort that out." Lyn nodded.

"I hope the Twins are ok." She said more to herself than to him.

"Those slaggards always are. We can't seem to get rid of 'em." Lyn noticed the slight venom in his voice. And then she decided that that was enough.

"Just what is your problem!?" she growled, turning as far as the seatbelt would allow her. "What the hell do you have against the Twins, huh?" Cliffjumper didn't seem to be taken aback by her sudden outburst, simply shrugging her question off.

"Just don't like 'em. They're too cocky for their own good, and that Sunflower is too vain and sociopathic to be allowed around sane 'bots." Lyn slammed her fist down on the glove compartment, causing a small but noticeable yelp of pain and shock. Cliffjumper swerved to a halt.

"What the slag?! What was that for!?"

"Three times they've saved my life! Three! Both have nearly lost their lives at least twice and all you can do is sit there and insult them?! Who the hell do you think you are!?" The Ferrari was speechless. "I'll tell you what you are: you are a bully, Cliffjumper! I've had to deal with them enough in my line of work, and I am not about to be associated with one form a completely different planet! Now let me out, I'm walking!" Lyn struggled with the door, only for him to lock it.

"Cliffjumper. I mean it…" she warned.

"…I'm sorry." Lyn stopped struggling, turning back to the holoform.

"You're what?" The paramedic had not expected this to happen. Cliffjumper's holoform actually looked…remorseful.

"I'm sorry. I've been a...what do you humans call it?"

"A jerk?"

"Yeah. One of those. I've been a total jerk."

"Cliffjumper, it's not me you should apologise to."

"What, you mean apologise to the Twins? They'll eat me alive!"

"You don't know that. I think they deserve an explanation. Don't you?" The black haired man sighed deeply. She was right.

"You know, I can see why ol' Hatchet likes you. You keep us all 'on our toes', to use that human expression." Lyn smiled.

"So?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll apologise. Just so long as you come with me. I don't wanna end up a smokin' pile of scrap." The medic actually laughed.

"It's a deal!"

Lyn found Cliffjumper was much more fun than she expected him to be. She actually had a laugh with him.

"So then 'Hide starts shooting at these targets, thinking they're 'cons and ends up blowing out the lights! Even I gotta say- that was probably the best prank Roses has ever pulled! We were all laughing for weeks!" Lyn gripped her sides, she was laughing too much.

"So I'm guessing Sideswipe has done this a lot then?" she asked once she had finally gotten her breath back.

"You bet. And its always poor Hatchet or Ol' Hide who gets it. He's been in the brig more times than a D'con!"

"And yet he still doesn't learn?"

"Nope! Prowl's had him do time in the brig, put him on extended patrol, everything! Even so far as cleaning up after one of his messiest pranks- all tar and feathers- with his bare hands! It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen!" Lyn laughed out loud, wiping away stray tears. She hadn't laughed this hard in a long while. "Though, I suppose if I consider it, the base would be a lot quieter without them. I suppose I'd miss 'em if they weren't around." Lyn sighed happily. "Don't you dare tell them that I said that. I won't hear the end of it, otherwise," he added, seemingly turning very serious. Lyn paused a moment.

"Well, ok then. Confidentiality and all." she heard the smile in his voice.

"Thanks, Lynx."

--

They arrived at the base not too long after that. It seemed very quiet. Cliffjumper transformed, looking round before looking at Lyn.

"Shall we?" Lyn nodded. Walking further into the base, it soon became apparent why it seemed quiet- a lot of mechs were in the rec room. And it looked like a party had broken out.

"Yo, Blue, what's all this in aid of?" the red Ferrari called over the din. The silver and grey mech walked cheerily over to them.

"Well, the Twins decided to throw a party to celebrate handing the 'Cons afts to them, Sideswipe's words not mine, and then everyone decided that they needed a morale boost, and Optimus allowed it and now it's getting in to the swing of things and…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You don't need to tell me everything. I only wanted to know…never mind." He looked to Lyn.

"Where's Ratch, Blue?" Lyn asked, slightly worried.

"Well, He's in the med bay at the moment, but he's alright 'cause Wheeljack's in there fixing him up, and the Twins are in there too, but he was a real mess when he came in. I've never seen Ratchet so hurt before and what happened anyway?" Lyn sighed. She didn't really want to go into great detail. She just wanted to see the CMO.

"We were attacked, and that's all you need to know." Bluestreak snapped his mouth shut. "I'm going to see how Ratchet is."

"I'll…I'll come with you." The paramedic could tell that the red fighter was more than a little anxious at the prospect of seeing the Twins to actually talk. All he'd done was insult them. Lyn smiled, resting a comforting hand on his leg plating.

"Ok."

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Wow, this took a little longer than I thought it would. I had fun writing this chapter. It was hard writing Cliffjumper and Bluestreak, but once I got into it, they were actually fun characters to write.

Hope you enjoyed it! Please Review! As always, constructive criticism is always welcome, as is everything else. :-)


	18. An Apology?

Well, here's the next chapter! Sorry I took so long to post it. Been busy finishing second year of Uni. All done now! (Happy cheer!) Which means I can concentrate a little more on this story.

Also, I'm not including Cliffjumper apologising to the Twins in this story. I'll probably write a one shot for that. Just so y'all don't get to angry at me for not including it.

Anyway, without any further a due- here's chapter 18!

Disclaimer- I no own! Why you always asking me?

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The med bay was not as busy as what Lyn imagined it would be. The Twins were there, of course, chattering loudly about how the 'fun' they had had beating into the two 'Cons. Ironhide was looking quite content in himself, leaning casually against one of the berths while Wheeljack cleaned what looked like energon off one of the Weapons expert's mighty cannons. But there was something, or someone, missing. She looked towards Cliffjumper, who was eyeing the Twins warily. It was going to take a lot of courage for the red warrior to bat down his pride and apologise to the main subjects of his verbal lashings. Winking at him, she smiled and walked over to the engineer.

"Jack? Where's Ratchet?" she asked. The Lancia looked up from his work, looking pointedly at a door on the far side of the med bay.

"He said he was working on something and he didn't want to be disturbed, although I personally believe that he's just moping around." Lyn fought hard to fight the smile.

"He'll see me, I know he will." She winked at the engineer, whose head fins flushed a magenta colour. With one last glance over at the twins and Cliffjumper (Sunstreaker seemed to be burning the red Ferrari's optics out) she sauntered over to the door the engineer had directed her to. With a heavy sigh, she pushed the additional, human sized door open.

The room was well lit, as was the rest of the base, and quite large. Lyn wondered how she'd never noticed it before. The sound of a wrench turning brought her attention to a bench nearer the end wall. Ratchet was working on something, and from the look on his faceplate he had been working on it for a while. Remembering their last encounter when the CMO had been busy, Lyn was cautious as she made her way over.

"Ratch?" The H2 Hummer visibly stiffened and then relaxed when he saw the paramedic approach.

"Oh, hello Lyn. I guess Wheeljack told you I was in here?" She nodded. "Thought as much."

"He said that you were working on something, I'll come back later if you're busy." She turned to leave, only to be pulled back by a pair of strong arms.

"I don't want you to go." Lyn felt the blood rush to her face at the huskiness of the medic's voice. Turning in his arms, she threw her arms around the neck of his holoform. He brushed a stray hair from her cheek. She felt herself melt into his touch. He rested his forehead against hers.

"I was worried about you. After that attack earlier on, I knew that I would be no good to you with the damage I had received. If we had been attacked again, I…I wouldn't have been able to fend them off, and that scared me. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you now." The pure emotion and truth that shone through his eyes was enough to draw tears from hers.

"Oh, Ratch." She pressed herself further into him, as he tightened his embrace. They stood like that for five minutes, neither of them wanting to break the moment. However, a question plagued Lyn's mind. Pulling her head from Ratchet's chest, she looked up at him.

"Ratch?" He looked down at her questioningly. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you working on?" The mech sighed, his holoform disappearing. Reaching his hand down to her, he lifted her onto the table. The sight was not something she was completely prepared for.

"Let's just say it's an old friend of ours."

"Who…? How did this happen?" Lyn walked along beside the silver mech. Fresh weld marks signalled that he (she supposed the 'Bot was a mech) had recently been reunited with his legs. Ratchet seemed forlorn, making the paramedic almost wish she had never brought it up.

"I don't know if you know anything about the battle in Mission City, but it was there that it happened."

"Yeah, I saw a little of what happened. I was called out with the others to get the wounded from the area." Ratchet nodded in understanding.

"Well, we were fighting the Decepticons, when their leader showed up. Megatron." He looked at Lyn when she frowned in confusion. "Lyn?"

"I think…I think I saw him. I think I heard Optimus say his name."

"Are you sure?" The medic cocked an optic ridge.

"Yeah. I remember hearing Prime say his name and I looked up at the building he was standing on. I have to say, I wouldn't like to meet him on a dark night." Ratchet chuckled.

"Not many would. Who else did you see?" The CMO was intrigued now.

"Only him, I think. Well, I may have caught a glimpse of one or two of the others, but I mainly saw him." She shivered as she remembered that growled voice. "I saw him throw something. Come to think of it, it looked like…no. no way! It wasn't…" She looked pointedly to the silver mech lying on the table. Ratchet's silence was all the answer she needed. "That's awful!"

"I know. I managed to get him back together, but there's still a lot of work to do. And I've yet to figure out how to bring him back." Lyn looked up at the medic, determination burning in her eyes.

"I want to help you." If he was honest with himself, Ratchet was taken aback by the paramedic's request.

"I don't know, Lyn. No offence but, I don't think you can help. There are a lot of parts that you won't have come across before." Not that it stopped her looking at the diagnostics. A frown fell over her face.

"Lyn, I..."

"I don't believe it." Ratchet sighed. It was like talking to a brick wall, talking to females.

"I told you…"

"I don't believe how close to the human anatomy it is!" The medic was shocked into silence. "This main fuel line travelling from that (is it a pump of some sort?) and down the full length of his body looks like the human aorta. In fact all the fuel lines look like human blood vessels!" Her expression changed to one of determination. "I want to help, Ratch. Please, let me help?" Ratchet thought it through. She seemed to know more about this than he thought, even if it was only a small amount. Maybe she could help him? At least with the jobs that he couldn't reach. Seeing as he couldn't work on the fallen lieutenant in his holoform. He finally relented.

"Alright, Lynx, I'll let you help. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"If it gets too much for you, you stop. No arguments." Lyn smiled a little, before throwing the CMO a mock salute.

"Yes sir! Don't worry Ratch; you'll be the first to know." Ratchet nodded and smiled, checking his internal chronometer.

"By Primus, it's late. C'mon, we can start working on him tomorrow after you've finished. If you feel up to it, of course." Lyn nodded, stretching and allowing herself to be picked up.

The med bay was quiet when they left the room. Clearly Wheeljack had managed to kick the unruly lot (the Twins and Ironhide) out, and the rest had followed. Said mech was now wiping down the berths. Lyn broke the silence.

"Jack?" Startled, the engineer dropped the cleaning rag, clutching his chest above his spark.

"Slag it, you scared me. I didn't even hear you two come out." Regaining control, he leaned against the berth he was cleaning.

"You were too consumed in your work. I've never seen you this determined to get an area cleaned. What's wrong?" Ratchet teased. Wheeljack shook his head.

"I'm a little worried about Cliffjumper."

"Why?" The medic raised an optic ridge. Lyn stifled a knowing giggle.

"Well, something must be wrong with him. He, he actually apologised to the Twins." If this had been a cartoon, Lyn was sure she would have seen Ratchet's jaw hit the floor.

"You cannot be serious."

"He is, Ratch. And don't worry, 'Jack, I had a word with him about it. Seems I managed to talk him round to it." The two mechs looked at each other. Inside, Ratchet's pride was swelling. This paramedic, no, HIS paramedic had managed to do the impossible. Was there anything that she couldn't do? Shaking his head, he smiled at her. She smiled back at him. A sheepish cough brought them round.

"Not while there are others in the room, please?" he asked, though the grin was evident in his voice. Ratchet glowered at him playfully.

"Ok, ok, I get the hint. I'll leave you two to it. I've finished in here anyway. Got some tinkering to do in my lab."

"Just don't blow half the base up this time. Or yourself. I'm not picking up every part of your arm like I did last time." Wheeljack shrugged.

"Can't make any promises, I'm afraid. You know what science is like."

"I know what you're like, never mind the science." The engineer chuckled.

"Alright, alright, I'll try, but like I said, I'm not making promises. G'night, guys."

"Night, 'Jack." With that he left. Ratchet turned his attention back to the human.

"So, you made Cliffjumper apologise, hmm?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I made him par se." The CMO chuckled and shook his head.

"Do you know how long we've all tried to find out what the problem was between those two? A very long time. And you go and do it in a couple of weeks. You astound me, you really do. Its official, you are a femme after my own spark." Lyn blushed.

"I just hope it went well." And then she went silent. Ratchet looked down to the medic in his hand. He didn't have to perform a scan to know something was bothering her.

"Lyn? Is everything alright?" She sighed.

"Not really, Ratch. I'm a little worried about my team."

"Shannon and Jack? Why? They weren't harmed were they?"

"Oh, no, it's not that. It's just…" she sighed again. Ratchet frowned. Something must be very wrong if she was this uneasy.

"It's just…?" he urged. Lyn looked up to her giant robotic lover.

"They have more or less told me that, in no uncertain terms, if I don't tell them what's going on, they won't trust me. I'm a little lost at the moment. I don't want to tell them about all of you for the sake secrecy. I mean, after all, it's not like you travel in disguise for no reason. But I really don't want to lose their friendship. And, in any case, a team like ours cannot function if there's no trust between us. I really don't know what to do." She looked back down at his palm, letting the motion of his walking soothe her. He hummed, weighing their options.

"I think your best bet is to talk to Optimus about this. He is the leader, after all. Only he can decide whether or not they should know." Lyn nodded. It made sense.

"Alright. I'll see Optimus tomorrow morning. I'm not on shift until the afternoon, anyway." Entering his quarters, Lyn found herself hoping that Prime would allow her to tell her teammates and best friends the biggest secret she had ever kept from them in the entire time she had known them.

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Phew! That took a while. Sorry, guys. I was suffering a little writer's block. I couldn't get this to go forward. Hope you enjoyed it.

Next chapter- will Optimus allow her teammates into their lives? Also, Lyn and Ratchet begin working on a certain fallen comrade.


	19. Make or Break Question

Ok, sorry about the long wait guys. I'm really busy at the moment. I've been suffering a little writer's block on this story. Hopefully this will break it.

Disclaimer: I don't own. Only Lyn, Shannon, Jack and Dylan belong to me.

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Lyn was nervous. She had only spoken to the leader a couple of times. He seemed easy to talk to, but this was not an easy matter. This was concerning the Autobots' security. He seemed understanding enough. She glanced to her guardian and partner, who had clearly picked up on her unease.

"You'll be fine. I'm here with you." She smiled and nodded, yet could not shake the feelings of unease that plagued her, twisting her insides into knots. She gulped. He was there, in front of them, just entering the Rec room. She cleared her throat, nodding to the CMO. Resting his hand on the table, he waited until she climbed in before making a move. Straightening, he crossed the room.

"Optimus, sir." The leader turned, looking towards the medic.

"Yes Ratchet. Hello Lyn." The human waved up nervously. Optimus chuckled. The gestures and actions of the humans never ceased to humour and intrigue him. "What can I do for you two?" Ratchet didn't pause for too long, wanting, for Lyn's sake, to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"We would like to speak with you. In private, if you don't mind, sir." Optimus glanced at them both, a flash of concern becoming apparent in his optics.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked immediately.

"Oh, no sir, nothing wrong as such. It's just…" Lyn took over.

"It's just… I have a very sensitive question to ask, Optimus."

"Ah, I see. Very well. We shall continue this conversation in my office. Follow me." They did, or rather Ratchet did, just that. With many of the 'Bots on patrol or in the rec room, the corridors had an eerie silence, the only sounds being the thumps of the robots' footsteps echoing and reverberating around them, the quiet whirr of the generators keeping non-sentient life going in the base: the lights, the cooling systems, the alarms, the cameras. And then, there was the thumping of her own heart. Lyn was sure that they would in fact be able to hear it; she felt it was practically drilling through her chest. Subconsciously, she covered her chest with her hand, trying to calm the thudding. Ratchet gently, not to mention awkwardly, rubbed her shoulder with his thumb. She looked up into his cerulean blue optics, smiling anxiously.

Too short was the ride to the Autobot leader's office. She felt that it had taken them a life time, but that, for her, was too short. She didn't do worry, she hated it! It smothered her, choked her, it caused her to not think straight. That's how she dealt with her patients, she saved the worrying 'til after her shift, never during. Of course, it sometimes had repercussions, such as exploding out at the most inconvenient of times. She had a feeling it was going to again, and soon. Optimus seemed to be activating some form of lock with his sensors, or at least that was what she figured, seeing as he made no move towards the door. It hiss open a moment later, as he turned to them and beckoned them inside. Lyn felt bewildered. It was nothing like she expected an exulted leader's office to be like. It was large, yes, but then all the rooms were to her. But it was the plainness of it that shocked her. It was like every other room in the place- basic, plain. He moved to the desk with a grace that she never knew a giant robot could possess. He must have sent a message to the CMO, for within moments, he was seated in front of it and Lyn found herself sitting between them. Optimus relaxed a little, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"Now, Lyn. What was it you wanted to ask me?" The paramedic flicked something unseen off her knee, mulling over how she wanted to ask this.

"Erm…" she rubbed the back of her neck. Sighing, she took in a deep breath, straightening. "As you know, we were attacked only yesterday." Prime nodded, silently urging her on.

"But, we weren't the only ones who were there. Two of my teammates were also there. They saw Starscream…" she unconsciously shivered at the name, "…and now, they…they want to know what's going on. They don't believe that I don't know. And now…"

"And now they want answers, is that right?" Lyn looked up to the ominous, yet serene mech, nodding.

"I see." There was an uncomfortable silence as the leader thought the problem over. Lyn swallowed a little. She was usually a confident young woman, but situations like this really got to her. What if he said that she couldn't tell them? _Then, you'll have to make up some form of a lie_.

"This is quite a difficult situation. But, I'm sure we'll find a way around it. When are you on-shift?" Lyn looked at her watch. 09:00. She started her shift at 13:00.

"Four hours from now, sir."

"Very well. Come back to me before you leave, and I will give you my answer." Lyn smiled.

"I will sir. Thank you." Optimus bowed his head in reply.

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Lyn never knew relief like it. She honestly thought that this time she had stepped over the line, but, Optimus seemed to be as understanding as she had first thought. However, now she had to wait. Sat on his desk next to him, she absently watched Ratchet go about his work, checking through datafiles and such. She smiled to herself. He really did remind her of a human doctor.

"Is everything alright, Lyn?" The concern in the CMO's voice was enough to pull her back from her thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, just fine. I was just thinking, that's all. Such as, if Optimus allows me to tell my teammates about this, how I'm going to go about it. It isn't exactly something that you just drop into a conversation." He hummed, mulling over what had been said. "But, I'll think about that when the time comes. I won't get myself worried now. Is there anything you want me to do?" The sudden change in subject seemed to take him by surprise.

"Oh, well, I suppose…"He stumbled over his words. Lyn was sure that she saw him begin to smirk; his optics shining playfully. "You could just sit there and look pretty, not that that's hard for you to do." He offlined one optic in a gesture that Lyn recognised as a wink. She giggled. He always made her feel like a school girl with her first crush. And she loved it.

"Actually, there is something you can help me with. But first, I need to ask if you really want to. A lot can go wrong, especially as you're not used to our internals, as you humans would say."

"You want me to help with Jazz, don't you?" Ratchet saw the glint of determination that flashed crossed her bright green eyes, the same glint that he had fallen in love with. It was all the answer he needed. Reaching into subspace, he pulled out what appeared to be surgeon's scrubs, complete with the mask, gloves and cap.

"You'll need these. The energon in our bodies may be highly toxic to humans. You have to wear them at all times while you are helping Wheeljack and I. Alright?" Lyn nodded, accepting the protective gear. She slipped into it, Ratchet's holoform fastening it up at the back. He hummed appreciatively, his eyes shining with mischief. Turning her head, Lyn cocked an eyebrow.

"What?" He chuckled and shook his head.

"If only they made these as, what is it you humans call them? Fitted items?" He stroked his hands up her sides slowly, making sure to follow the curves of her body. Lyn sighed as she pressed her back into him. Even through the material, she could feel his own appreciation. His hands slowly trailed up and around her, pulling her further into him as he nibbled her neck and earlobe lightly. She dragged air through her teeth, whimpering ever so slightly.

"Oh, don't mind me." They leapt apart, Ratchet immediately calling his holoform back before he embarrassed himself any more.

"WHEELJACK!! Don't you EVER learn to knock BEFORE entering MY OFFICE!?" Wheeljack's head fins lit a bright sky blue as he smiled under his face mask.

"You've never minded before. Besides, I did knock. You two were obviously too…preoccupied to hear me." Ratchet pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting down the urge to pick up the nearest, largest, heaviest thing and hurl it at the intruding engineer.

"What do you want?" he asked through grating dentaplates, his frustration evident in his voice. Wheeljack chuckled a little. He had, fortunately for himself, caught his long time friend before they had become too intimate.

"Only to tell you that everything's ready." The brightness of his head fins dimmed as he took a step back, for the CMO's optics suddenly burned a fiery, electric blue.

"And you couldn't simply contact me!?" He cursed in what Lyn supposed was Cybertronian, but even though she didn't understand it, Lyn was sure that she picked up a few translations of Earth words. He finished with a long, drawn out sigh.

"Alright. We'll be there in a couple of clicks. Now get out." Wheeljack didn't hesitate, recognising the 'argue-with-me-and-you're-dead' tone, and disappearing out of the office almost in an instant. Lyn giggled.

"Well, I guess we'd better follow him, hmm?" Ratchet nodded, resting his hand on the desk for her to climb into. Oh, he would pay Wheeljack back for interrupting them. Whether it was a couple of dozen wrenches to the head or a screwdriver up the aft, he would make sure he paid him back.

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This seems like a good place to stop it. We're having a bit of a thunderstorm over here, which, knowing my luck, will end with causing a power cut or something. (Sighs). Anyway, hope you enjoyed this! Constructive criticism is, as always, welcome. Flames will not be tolerated, under any circumstance. So don't even bother.


	20. The Decision

Wow! An update! Finally! It's been so long! I'm really glad so many people are enjoying it so far! 0.0

Disclaimer: I only own Lyn. If you wish to borrow her, please ask permission, and watch her, she can be a handful!

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Three hours. She had three hours before going to see Optimus about his final decision. She had never felt so nervous! Even during her exams, she hadn't been this nervous! And now, here she was, dressed in scrubs, with gloves that almost reached up to her shoulders, playing surgeon on a being from a distant planet. Occasionally, she looked up to watch Wheeljack or Ratchet as they worked, following the CMO's instructions or working off her own initiative. It wasn't as easy as it had first appeared. Minute ruptures or chips constantly hindered her work, and the annoying thing was she couldn't see where they were.

"Look out Lyn!" The paramedic stepped back as a spark erupted from the circuitry she had been working on.

"Thanks, Ratch. I wish I had your sensors." Ratchet smiled in spite of his built-in professionalism. Lyn cautiously peered into the chassis, waiting, almost daring the sparks to fly out at her. She sighed. Part of her wondered what possessed her to continue this highly dangerous task. She had been on the verge of giving up at least three times in the past half an hour. But her determination to finish the task was overwhelming.

"Lyn, do you want to take a break?" the engineer asked. Lyn shook her head.

"No. I said I would help, and that's what I'm doing. Hand me that welder, would you?" Ratchet smiled slightly as he continued. Her determination was almost fiery; trying to stop it resulted in getting burned. Receiving the welder, Lyn carefully fused together the two ends of the larger fuel line. One of the machines buzzed for a moment before falling back into a steady silence.

"What was that?" Lyn asked, glancing at the offending mechanism. Ratchet had stopped his work, as had Wheeljack. The mechs exchanged glances. "Guys?"

"A good sign. Keep at it; we'll soon have this mech back."

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Elsewhere, on the outskirts of the city, a sore and battered mech nursed his bruised and battered pride. Starscream glowered at the Decepticons around him. Again, the medic had escaped his clutches. Again, he had been robbed of his revenge. But not for much longer. He would go, by himself, and repay the human for harming his ego.

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It had been quite a task, but finally Lyn relinquished to the will of the two mechs. She finally took a break. She sat, watching them work. The job was almost complete, but Ratchet said that it would take at least a couple more days before they could even attempt to get the 2IC back online. Mikaela had been drafted in to help out with the more complicated engineering tasks that were too small for the mechs to reach while working on everything else. Lyn glanced at her watch. Just under two hours and she would be finding out the leader's decision. She sighed.

"Lyn, I need your help with this," Mikaela called. Lyn had only gone to the edge of the work bench, finding that it would be better in case she was needed for something. Within seconds she was by the teenager's side, holding two wires together as she repaired them.

"Almost…got it." Lyn let go off the wires as an electric blue spark shot out, striking her square in the chest. The jolt sent her stumbling back a couple of feet, enough to make her lose her footing and fall off the edge. Mikaela grabbed the older woman's arm just as the CMO sprinted round, hand outstretched, ready to catch her. Lyn looked up, grabbing the teenager's arm, hauling herself towards Mikaela. Ratchet scooped her up, placing her gently back onto the table.

"Are you alright Lyn?" he asked. Lyn nodded, a little shakily.

"A little dazed, but I'm ok. Surprisingly. I'm wondering how I'm still alive."

"The voltage wasn't high enough to do any serious damage. However, I do want to keep a close eye on you." Lyn nodded. Her heart had calmed down again after the scare. She checked her watch again. Mikaela watched as she shook her wrist and held it to her ear.

"Damn it."

"Lyn? What's up?"

"My watch has stopped. It must be a result of that shock."

"Don't worry Lyn; I'll let you know when we need to get going. Ok?" The human smiled.

"Thanks Ratch. What would I do without you?" The CMO was about to respond, thinking better of it when he realised that they still had company. They carried on with their work almost in complete silence, the quiet permeated now and again by Ratchet giving an order or the sound of an instrument. Half an hour later, Ratchet decided to call it a day.

"We'll do more later. We need energon and Lyn needs to get ready for work." They nodded, the engineer lifting the humans off the table as Ratchet covered the body with a sheet. They had done quite a bit today. Many of the fuel lines had been fixed together, the circuitry had been replaced, and the body had been almost completely repaired. What was left was the hardest part of all: - finding a way to bring him back to life. The CMO hoped that Prime held the key to that in the form of the shard he had pulled from Megatron's body. He cycled air through his intakes in a sigh as he sealed the door. Taking Lyn from the engineer, he took her to their shared quarters, turning his back so that she could change, though he couldn't help but scan her as he did. Even though she had her back to him, he still received a tantalizing glimpse of her skin.

"Sensors, Ratchet." He started a little, feeling like the youngling caught with his hand in the energon goody jar. Lyn looked over her shoulder as she pulled her shirt on, winking flirtatiously. She was done in a matter of minutes, pulling her hair into a loose bun at the back of her head, a few of the more unruly wisps of hair hanging around her face. She whistled to the mech, who turned and smiled.

"Are you ready?" he asked, sensing her nerves as he laid his hand on the berth for her to climb into.

"As I'll ever be. Best to get this over with now." He nodded, exiting the room. Entering the rec. room, they spotted the large form of the leader stood talking with his tactician. Ratchet turned his attention to the female.

"Lyn, I really need to refuel, so I'll leave you with Optimus. Ok?" She gulped and nodded shyly. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Prime's an understanding mech. He looks pretty intimidating, given that he is the tallest here, but his spark is pure gold. You'll be alright." The calming glow of his optics affected her immediately as she relaxed.

"Ok." He walked over to the mechs, greeting them politely. Prowl nodded to the medic and the human, saying a quick but polite farewell and leaving them to it.

"Optimus sir." The red and blue mech turned to his CMO.

"Yes Ratchet? Hello once again, Lyn." She smiled sheepishly.

"I just wanted to let you know that we have very nearly finished the repairs on our fallen comrade, and we will be attempting to bring him back online soon." Optimus nodded. "And, also that I will be heading off with Lyn shortly, to take her to the Hospital."

"Ah, yes. Very well. Before you go, Lyn, I'd like to talk to you." She nodded as Ratchet placed her gently into his hand.

"I'm just getting some energon. I won't be long." Lyn nodded as she turned to the giant mech who was now holding her. Her mouth felt dry all of a sudden, worry beginning to take over. Optimus carried her from the room to his office. Ratchet watched, smiling encouragingly at Lyn, who smiled back. She was nervous, he could see from here that she was.

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Closing the door behind him, Optimus set the paramedic gently down on his desk. She waited patiently as he seated himself in front of her. She still couldn't get over how sparse the room was. She had been expecting to see decorations of honour and other such ornaments lining the walls and shelves. But, nothing. It was an ordinary office. Optimus smiled gently as he watched her scanning the room. She was very nervous. At least she'd understood the depth of her question, and the danger she could be putting them in. He coughed, as he'd heard the humans around the base do when they wanted to get someone's attention. Her head snapped round.

"Now, Lyn. You understand what you are asking, and the risks involved, don't you?" Lyn nodded once. "And you understand that to answer in the affirmative would cause problems should the information fall into other hands." She nodded again. Optimus hummed. There was a silence that fell between them, an uncomfortable one for Lyn. She fidgeted where she stood on the desk, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. He broke the silence again.

"Which is why I have made the decision that I have." She gulped, pushing her worry down. Straightening, she stood to attention, waiting for the inevitable verdict.

"We have not known you for very long, just over a month, yet I feel I can trust you. There have been many times in which you could have revealed us, and yet you haven't, seeking my permission first. It is for this reason that I have decided in the affirmative. You may reveal us to your team mates, on the understanding that they keep the secret to themselves. I will have Ratchet escort them back to the base after your shift so that we may meet them." Lyn seemed like she was about to burst. She was beaming. He had said yes! Optimus chuckled as she fought to regain her composure.

"Thank you sir. You have no idea what an honour it is." He smiled.

"Oh I believe I do." He commed his CMO, telling him that she was free to go. He watched as the CMO entered and lifted the human from his desk as if she was the most delicate and beautiful thing he had ever seen. He conversed with him in their own language, not wanting to embarrass the young lady. The CMO snapped to attention and left the office. Once the door closed, Optimus brought an image up on the computer.

"A very interesting young lady. You would like her, Elita." He sighed, turning back to the datapads on his desk.

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FINALLY! Sorry for the wait guys, I've been suffering from writer's block. I really couldn't think on how to continue the story. Well, here it is anyway! Hope you enjoyed it! Constructive criticism is welcome, but flames are not. Ratchet, put that wrench down. You too, Lyn. (Glares at them) Sorry, it appears that they don't like flames either. Apart from yours Optimus! Yours are fine!

Oh, before I forget to mention, and before people start noticing, a few chapters ago, Jazz was seen talking to the Twins over the Comlink. This was a mistake on my part. I meant Blaster, not Jazz. Any other mentions of him, apart from being repaired, are mistakes on my part. I'd only just realised these mistakes. Ok? Thanks for reading guys!


	21. Problem

Hey! Sorry guys, I've been away from the computer for a while. Itchy fingers now. I'm so glad that so many of you are reading and enjoying this story! It's great!

Disclaimer: you should all know the score by now. I don't own. (Boo hoo) Only Lyn and her team belong to me. If you want to borrow them, feel free. Just let me know and I'll try to pull Lyn from Ratchet (or the other way round).

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Lyn couldn't stop fidgeting as Ratchet drove to their destination. She could tell them! No more lying to her teammates. But how was she going to tell them? And would they believe her?

"What's the matter, Lyn?" The paramedic jumped, startled from her reverie.

"Oh, sorry Ratch. Just...thinking." he chuckled, causing vibrations to ripple through his frame.

"What is it you humans say? Oh yes. Penny for your thoughts?" She sighed.

"I guess you could say I'm getting a case of cold feet." Ratchet was silent for a moment.

"The internal temperature is at the right level, Lyn. Your feet shouldn't be cold." Lyn laughed.

"No Ratch, I don't mean physically! It's just an expression. It means I'm worried."

"Then why didn't you just say that? You humans and your expressions. I don't think I'll ever get used to them." She smiled, patting the soft leather of the seat. She felt him shiver slightly.

"Don't worry, Ratch. You will." She sighed as they fell into silence once again.

"So, what are you worried about?"

"Hm? Oh, just...I'm not sure how to tell the guys. I mean, it's not something that I can just drop into conversation." She pretended to talk to them. "'Oh, hey Shannon, Jack. How was last night? Yeah mine was good. Oh by the way, my friends are giant robots from another planet.' It's not like talking about the weather."

"I see. You are worried that they won't believe you?"

"Well, put it this way. After the whole cover-up of the last 'events', I hardly think they will. And you can't exactly transform in the middle of the Hospital car park without attracting unwanted attention." The CMO hummed.

"You're right. We'll find a way round it, Lyn. Just so long as nothing major happens today." She snorted.

"Famous last words."

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The journey was too short for Lyn's liking. As they pulled up into the ambulance bay of MCH, she instantly recognised the tall figure of Jack stood next to the shorter frame of Shannon. Ratchet activated his holoform the moment he sensed them. Pulling to a stop, Lyn jumped down. Her heart was hammering against her chest as she began to make her way towards them. _'Why did I agree to this?'_ She smiled and walked over to them as Ratchet 'checked' his equipment.

"Hey guys!" she called.

"Hey Lyn!" Shannon beamed as the paramedic stopped in front of them.

"How's it hanging lil' lady?"

"I'm good, guys. Listen to me. There's something we need to discuss. But not yet." She held up her hand, stopping their response. "This is something that we need to talk about after shift. It's not exactly something I can tell you right now. It'll cause too much trouble."

"Trouble? What could cause trouble?" Jack turned to her, cocking an eyebrow. "What's the matter, Lynx?"

"I can't say at the moment."

"Lyn, we've worked with you for a year now, you know you can tell us anything, the same as we can with you. That's why we work so well. We're a team. So what is it that you can't tell us?" The mousy haired woman folded her arms.

"Later, guys. I promise." She checked her watch, deciding to change the subject. "We have five minutes before we're officially on shift, and I personally want a good strong cup of coffee." They smiled and followed her inside, but not before Ratchet joined their group.

"Ratch my man! How are you?" Jack slapped him jovially on the bicep.

"Not too bad, Jack. Yourself?"

"I'm good." He looked at the ambulance and whistled. "Wow, who ever repaired your Hummer must be an expert. It looks good as new. Next time you see him, give him my number." Ratchet smiled and nodded.

"C'mon, people! what are we hanging around for? You know what Dyl's like if we're not clocked in on time."

"Speak for yourself lil' lady. Shan and I are already on the books!" Jack laughed. There was something about his laugh that was deeply infectious and caused everyone to smile. Ratchet nodded, falling in next to Lyn as they stepped through the doors of the hospital. The CMO leaned in and spoke softly to her.

"Have you sorted something out?"

"I'm going to tell them after shift. At least then we won't have any problems to discuss over a casualty."

"Good idea." They both looked up at the smiling faces of Lyn's teammates.

"Oh hey, don't mind us," Shannon grinned.

"Yeah guys. Not like we're on shift in, oh I dunno, three minutes."

"Ah, go on, off with ya!" she shooed them away. "Oh Shannon, thanks for volunteering. No milk and one sugar, please." The Paramedic smiled sweetly as the younger woman shook her head, pulling the grinning tall technician along with her, but not before he called to the medic.

"Yo, Ratchet! want one?"

"Not for me thanks." They smiled as Shannon tugged him along behind her. Things seemed to be getting back to normal between her team, well, for now at least. It still begged the question of how she was going to tell them.

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Things were going slowly. A couple of accidents had warranted their attention, but other than that it was quiet. Perhaps a little too quiet. Something seemed to be bothering Ratchet. Every time Lyn, Jack or Shannon saw him, he seemed to be distant. Of course, Lyn knew better than they did. He was in contact with the base.

"Ratchet? What's going on?" she asked the moment she had chance.

"Something's not right, Lyn. Optimus has informed me that Bumblebee has spotted Starscream flying around nearby. But he hasn't done anything. I don't like it." Lyn hummed. What was he up to? "Prime's sent a small team to Mission City, just in case."

"Comprising of who?"

"The Twins, Hot Rod, Prowl and Ironhide."

"He's expecting something to happen then?"

"With the Decepticons, you can never be too sure." She nodded in the affirmative.

"C'mon, let's go and see where those two have gone." He grinned and caught her by her waist, causing her to yelp in surprise. "Ratchet! C'mon, let go." He hugged her to him.

"But we're all alone and there's no one around." His voice was annoyingly whiny. Lyn playfully elbowed him.

"I don't care. We're on shift. Not while we're on shift. Do you want to me to get fired?" He let her go, looking downcast. She giggled. It had only been a short time, but she felt she knew him completely. His eyes/optics were so very expressive.

"Not right now, handsome." She stroked his cheek affectionately. He smiled, leaning into the touch.

"Alright. Did you just call me handsome?" Lyn laughed and rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, before your ego gets as big as Sunny's."

"Oh, that could never happen." She laughed again.

"True, very true."

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Upon stepping into the waiting room, Lyn was almost barrelled over by a very nervous, borderline hysterical Shannon.

"Lyn! Ratchet! You've got to come! Quick!" Shannon grabbed Lyn by the wrist and pulled her into a run. Ratchet followed behind.

"Shannon! What's the matter?" The younger woman pulled her outside. Jack met them, his soft brown eyes now gleaming with unspoken terror. The same terror she had seen in his eyes on that fateful day. He pointed towards the end of the street. Ratchet and Lyn turned as one.

"Oh no!" People were running down the opposite way, many screaming, scrambling away from the giant silver monster that was tearing his way towards the hospital, destroying buildings and swiping at everyone. Starscream. Doctor's, nurses, porters and other members of MCH staff had ran outside, calling for stretchers and medical kits as they ran to help the injured. it looked like a war zone. A well-known shiver ran down her spine. Not here, so close to the hospital. Too many innocent lives resided in the hospital. pulling herself together, she turned to her team.

"Shannon, Jack, help them with the wounded. Get them into the hospital and get them treated. What are you waiting for!? Go!" They nodded and ran. Lyn turned to Ratchet.

"What are we going to do?"

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Uh-oh!

Sorry it's not the best chapter. This seemed like a good place to leave it for now. Hope you enjoyed it! You know the drill. Constructive criticism is welcome. Flames aren't liked here. (Apart from Optimus', they're good.)


	22. confrontation part 1

I can't believe it's nearly finished! Thanks to all who have read and reviewed! It's great to see so many people are enjoying this!

Disclaimer: Do I have to? I don't wanna say that I don't own the Transformers. :( (Lyn glares at her) Alright, alright, I don't own Transformers. There, happy? (Lyn smiles)

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"What are we going to do, Ratch?" Lyn's voice cracked slightly in fear. Fear was not an emotion she was used to showing openly. She felt helpless. Lyn hated feeling helpless. Starscream seemed to be meticulously destroying everything in his path, slowly making his way up to the hospital. There was no question what he wanted, his methodical actions causing enough devastation and harm to, he hoped, draw the paramedic out. She had hurt his pride, humiliating him in front of those he led. She looked to the holoform stood next to her. His jaw was set and his bright blue eyes were glowing with rage. Lyn was surprised that he'd managed to suppress the urge to transform and beat the living daylights out of the arrogant Aerial Commander. Where were the others? Surely they should be here by now? She watched as the other team leaders shouted orders to get the walking wounded into the hospital. They couldn't reach any of the others. At least not yet.

"Ratch? What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, Lyn. I really don't know. I've already contacted the others, but apparently they're held up. Screamer didn't come alone." His voice was little more than a growl. His hands were balled into tight, shaking fists. Of all the pit-fragging times to be in a busy area! Over the screams and explosions, they could hear his taunting calls.

"Come out come out wherever you are! You know the only way to stop this, little medic!" Lyn growled. She turned to her teammates.

"Jack, Shannon, help the guys with the wounded. I have an idea." Drawing from her bravado, they nodded mutely and ran to help the other medics. Ratchet turned to his paramedic.

"What do you have in mind? Lyn?" But she didn't answer, suddenly breaking into a run before he could stop her. Her mind was set, she was so focused that she barely registered Ratchet calling her name as she ran through the crowds towards the giant robotic monster that was tearing up the street. _'You're not going to ruin my hospital! You're not going to cause any more casualties! Not on my watch!'_

Ratchet tried to make after her, calling her name, but the casualties were coming thick and fast and they needed all the help they could get. He would have to go after her the moment he had the chance. He just hoped that he'd get there in time. He watched as she disappeared into the stampede of panicking, hysterical civilians. _'Please don't do anything stupid, my love.'_

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Starscream was thoroughly enjoying this. The little flesh creatures were running everywhere in their panic, and their screams were so delicious. But there was no sign of his target. "Oh well, if she doesn't want to show up, I suppose I can just destroy her pride and joy." He cackled, pointing his gun at the hospital almost directly in front of him. Something hurtled towards him, striking his leg armour. The clang was enough to draw his attention. It was too small to cause any real damage or discomfort.

"What?"

"Oi! Screamer!" He looked down. So she had decided to show up. And the little wretch dared to face him?

"Insolent little flesh creature! I'll enjoy making you pay for humiliating me in front of my troops!"

"Troops! Ha! Don't make me laugh! You couldn't lead your way out of a broken down trash compactor! How can you even pretend to lead troops?!" That was it. With a shriek of fury, his hand swooped down to grab the paramedic. However, Lyn had anticipated the move and ducked under it, running between his legs and finally coming to a stop behind him.

"If you want me, come and get me!" With that, she ran up the street. Starscream roared, transforming and taking off after the retreating medic.

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Ratchet, Shannon and Jack stared in horror and disbelief as Lyn bravely, and somewhat stupidly, stood up to the Aerial Commander. His roar sent shivers through the humans. The medic couldn't take it any more, the holoform running for his alt mode. He could have it disappear, but there were too many people around.

"Ratchet? Where are you going?" Shannon asked, her voice shaking. If it wasn't for Jack holding her up, she would have fainted by now.

"To help Lyn." He just knew that she was in trouble. Lyn was a smart woman, but at the moment she was acting on impulse and not think very clearly. She was going to get hurt, or worse.

"We're coming with."

"No Jack, it's too dangerous."

"It's too dangerous staying put! Besides, Our lil' Lyn is a team member. She's the one who keeps us goin'. She's the one who is always there. We wouldn't be as good a team without her. So we're coming with." The CMO sighed. He couldn't really deny them wanting to help their team leader. Slag, he knew for a fact that, on Cybertron, any of his team would have done the same for him. he opened the passenger door.

"Get in. But you do exactly what I say. Do you understand?" Shannon's fears gave way to a burning determination. Both humans nodded, wanting to help their friend in anyway they could. Ratchet didn't wait for them to be seated before he slammed his door shut and took off up the street, sirens wailing. Lyn and Starscream had a head start and they had already disappeared from view. He would have to rely on his sensors if he was going to find them in time.

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Lyn dodged and ducked as the jet thundered after her, too low for a normal F22. Starscream was going to run her in to the ground! The streets were deserted as she ran and he pursued. Where were the other Autobots? What was she thinking?! There was no way she could out run a giant alien robot! Especially not one intent on killing her! Further and further out of the city she ran. Her lungs were burning, her heart was thumping its way out of her chest and her legs throbbed. But she couldn't stop. Heaven knows what would happen if she stopped. The only thing stopping her from collapsing from exhaustion was the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She dived out of the way, colliding with the pavement painfully as a hail of bullets rained down upon the street. She struggled to get back up, continuing running down a back street. Starscream was in hot pursuit, not caring anymore if he damaged his own frame as his wings crashed into the sides of the buildings, tearing them apart like paper.

"You can't outrun me, flesh creature!" he screeched. He was right. Her escape was coming up to nothing more than a dead end. Or was it a sharp turn? Lyn really didn't want to find out. _'I may not be able to outrun you, but I may be able to outsmart you.'_ She dropped to the ground, covering her head as Starscream soared over head. He let out a yell, rocketing upwards before he collided with the wall in front of him. Lyn leapt back to her feet and ran back the way she came. The walls were shredded and crumbling. _'I hope there was no one in those buildings.'_ She looked behind her. There was no sign of him. She stopped, doubling over as she caught her breath. She was tiring out. Lyn wasn't sure how long she could keep this up, but at least he wasn't near the hospital. Even though her uniform was light in colour and weight, she felt she was burning. She wished that Ratchet was there with her at the moment. Why had she been so stupid, running off like that? What would her father think of her just running and leaving all of those casualties behind? A roar of engines brought her from her thoughts. Standing straight, though still panting, she saw the jet swoop down at her. Readying herself, she prepared to run on. Her legs felt like lead and were slow to respond. The jet swerved upwards and became bipedal. Lyn took a deep breath, calming her nerves and trying to show a bravery she really didn't feel. Starscream stalked towards her, a triumphant smirk fixed upon his face plate. In the distance, she was sure she could hear the familiar sound of sirens, though it could simply be wishful thinking.

"What are you going to do now human? Run a little more? My sensors indicate that you are running low on energy. You won't be able to keep it up for long." His voice was taunting, though Lyn stood her ground. She just had to wait for the right moment. His clawed hand swept towards her, scratching the asphalt as she dove out of the way again. She landed awkwardly, twisting her wrist under her body. A sharp pain shot through it, pulling a hiss from her. Rolling onto her back, she checked it. It didn't seem to be broken, though it was definitely sprained. Her focus was shifted as a cackle reached her ears.

"Pathetic little fool. There's no escaping me. I will have my revenge."

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(Dramatic music) Will Ratchet get to her in time? Where are the others? Will they be able to help? What will Shannon and Jack think when they learn the truth? Stay tuned readers!


	23. confrontation part 2

Hey guys! Sorry about the cliffy. (Evil grin) here's the second half!

Disclaimer: Don't own! Only Lyn and her team belong to me!

........................changes in place

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Ratchet ignored the speeding laws. He had to get to Lyn! Starscream seemed to be trying to block himself from the Autobot's sensors, making it difficult to trace him completely. Where the slag were the others!?

: Ratchet to Ironhide. Where the fragging pit are you?!:

: We're held up at the moment. The pit fragger Sky Warp won't stay still!: Ratchet growled. He hadn't realised that it had been audible, noticing the startled looks he received from his human passengers.

: Slagging hurry up! Lyn is in danger!: The Weapons Specialist cursed, cutting the link. The medic's holoform turned to the humans.

"Hold on." He swerved round the corner, ignoring the cries of the woman.

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Lyn backed away as the menacing form of Starscream stalked towards her. She didn't care if her uniform was dirtied or torn. That was replaceable. Her life wasn't. He could have shot her by now, but he clearly had other things in mind. The thought turned her blood to ice. She had to get away! She had to find a way out of this!

"You do realise that you won't be alive by the time they find you, don't you. You made a very foolish mistake challenging me, flesh creature. Very foolish indeed." His faceplates contorted into a sick imitation of a smirk. Lyn didn't like this. She didn't like this one bit. _Stay calm, Lyn. That's it girl, stay calm. Keep a level head. Think. You're good in the challenging situations; you're good at sorting your way through them. So think, woman. Find an escape._ That was easier said than done. The Aerial Commander was all but looming over her, making his approach painfully slow. She gulped and took a deep breath. _Relax, Lyn. Just relax_. She opened her eyes in time to see Starscream's foot crashing down towards her.

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Ratchet didn't like the silence that had descended inside his alt mode. The humans were shaken, terrified. They had to help Lyn!

"Don't worry, we'll save her." They nodded. The medic growled something under his breath as they turned yet another corner.

"LYN!" Ratchet's holoform flinched, instantly grabbing his ears. His audios were ringing from the woman's yell. And now she was screaming and Jack was staring. Why? Oh. Slag.

"Ratchet! You're not holding the wheel!!" He instantly grabbed it.

"Yes I am, Shannon."

"No you weren't! The wheel was turning by itself! And you weren't holding it!" Slag. Slag, slag slagging slag!

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Lyn didn't know where the sudden burst of energy had come from. All she knew was that one minute she was about to be flattened by the irate Air Commander and then the next thing she knew, she had rolled out from underneath him and was now on her feet. Starscream roared, bearing down on her once again. He would punish her for making a mockery of him! He would! He would have his revenge! This time, she had to think fast on her feet. Starscream had decided that enough was enough, and began shooting at her. So angry was he that he didn't even pick up on the energy signature of the approaching Autobot.

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Ratchet swerved to halt as he rounded the corner, opening the door and practically shoving the two humans out of him.

"Run! Get Lyn and get to safety!"

"But what about you, Ratch?"

"Don't worry about me. I've handled this slagger before. Now go!"

"But, Ratchet..."

"I said GO!!" They did just that, fighting their instincts to run away from the giant robot that was at this moment shooting at their friend. Something began shifting behind them. They didn't look back, they couldn't. The youngest of the team glanced at the tall dark technician next to her. His jaw had set, his deep brown eyes glowing with something that looked a lot like anger and determination.

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Lyn cried out as a bullet nicked her shin, causing her to topple. She hissed as she landed, the Decepticon's cruel laughter ringing in her ears.

"And now, flesh thing, you pay." Lyn snapped her eyes shut, bracing herself for the killing strike. Instead, she heard an angry roar followed by a heavy crash as something impacted with him, causing the ground to rumble. Something grabbed her under her arms and hauled her on to her feet.

"Lynx! C'mon, girl! We gotta go!" Her eyes snapped open.

"Jack! Shannon! What are you guys doing here?"

"No time for questions right now. C'mon! We gotta find shelter!" She nodded, letting the younger woman support her as she tried desperately to keep up with them. Behind them, the sound of metal colliding with metal and the screeching of metal being torn rang out. Shouts and cries of an alien language mixed in with the already unnerving sounds. Something was kicked, and it collided with the ground with a loud crash, making them fall.

"Guys, I'm slowing you down. Get to shelter."

"We are. C'mon, Lyn. A couple more steps and we're there. See?" Jack pointed to a rather dilapidated, two-storey building just in front of them. He had already managed to kick the door in. Hauling her to her feet once again, they entered.

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Ratchet's optics were a burning white, contrasting with Starscream's smouldering crimson ones. He was currently crouching on the floor, his machine gun pointing at the Seeker as Starscream's was pointing at him. The medic had put up a pretty good fight, his saw tearing through Starscream's armour and numerous dents and gashes adorned the Air Commander's chassis. However, Ratchet was the worse off. Parts of his armour had been slashed by the Seeker's claws, nicking a few of the minor energon lines. Starscream smirked victoriously at the CMO.

"Give it up, Autobot. You've lost. You're little friend shall pay for making a mockery of me. You could have spared your own worthless life by staying clear. But now, you shall be terminated!"

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Lyn had torn part of her uniform and wrapped it around the deep cut in her shin, though she had to have help because of her wrist. Thankfully it hadn't gone any deeper than a centimetre at the most, but it was deep enough.

"That's going to require stitching. Wonderful. More time off work." She smiled, trying her very best to lighten the matter. Jack smiled slightly, but it didn't really reach his eyes. Shannon was far away and shaking. She jumped when Lyn rested her hand on hers.

"Shan, we're going to be alright."

"How can you say that? How can you know that we're going to be alright? Have you seen outside, Lyn? There's a freaking giant metal monster out there that was trying to kill you!!" Lyn nodded.

"I know. But, trust me. We'll be ok."

"There's something else, Lyn. Something about Ratchet." She looked towards their team leader. Lyn simply cocked her eyebrow.

"What about Ratchet?" A crash startled all of them, the building encasing them shaking. It was no wonder this place hadn't been used in a while. Bits of plaster showered down as the building shook, but it held firm. _But for how much longer?_ Shannon was shaking and on the verge of hysterics.

"Lyn? Please tell me you know what's going on out there? What are those things?" The paramedic sighed and pulled the younger assistant towards her. It wasn't very professional, but right now she didn't care. She held her to her as the woman began sobbing. Jack knelt next to them both and threw his arms around the both of them. Lyn kissed the top of her head, shushing her and rocking her, all the while listening to the shouts and the sounds of guns and fighting outside. Every time one of them collided with the ground, the building shook, raining more plaster and some (frighteningly) larger pieces upon them. _Please be alright Ratch._

"We're going to be ok, guys. We're going to be ok. I promise."

"And if we're not? Then what Lynx?"

"If that happens, Jack, at least we're all together."

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Starscream never got the chance to shoot. Ratchet beat him to it, firing a round into the Decepticon and rolling to his feet. He performed a quick scan on his own body. Nothing that couldn't be repaired...if he survived. His thoughts reached out to Lyn. He had seen her limping; he had seen the blood staining the lower leg of her uniform. He had picked up on the bruising around her wrist, as well as the swelling. He had also seen where all three of them had gone. He growled at the self-proclaimed leader of the Decepticons.

"Sorry to disappoint you Screamer, but I'm not going down that easily." Starscream cried out in unholy rage and leapt at the CMO, knocking him back to the ground. Ratchet sensed the building behind him begin to shake again, silently praying to Primus that it was stable enough to stand up to the vibrations they were creating. He had almost lost Lyn once, due to his own actions. He was not going to lose her again! He fought back as best he could, but his mind was distracted. Starscream, it seemed, had the upper hand. So Ratchet was very, VERY surprised when something exploded against the Seeker's chassis, propelling him forward with a screech. Ratchet turned to the source of the explosion.

"About slagging time!!" he hollered, pushing himself to his feet. Ironhide simply grinned. "Where are the others?"

"On their way. We got separated. It appears there are more Decepti-creeps than we first thought." The older mech turned on the Air Commander. The Seeker forced himself to his feet with a snarl, though it quickly turned into an awful, sickening smirk as his sensors picked up something very useful to him.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you. I've just this minute found your friends." He pointed at the building behind him. Ironhide growled and charged up his cannons. Ratchet froze for a brief moment. Brief as it was, it didn't go unnoticed. Starscream cackled.

"Touched a soft spot have we, Medic? And you dare to judge me on MY actions?" He pressed his clawed hand onto the roof of the building. "Oh look, more of you."

"Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, stand down." The Lamborghinis and the Chevrolet turned to the medic with an incredulous look in their optics. "You'll be putting Lyn in danger." Starscream grinned as the Autobots begrudgingly lowered their weapons. Sunstreaker growled and went to leap at the Air Commander, only for Ironhide to hold him back.

"Good little Autobots. Now, say goodbye." With that, he slammed his fist into the side of the shop, causing the wall to cave in and taking a good portion of the roof with it.

"NO!! Lyn!!" Ratchet roared and opened fire on the retreating Decepticon, as did the others. He cleared the distance in two strides and dropped to his knees, tearing at the ruined establishment.

"Lyn! Jack! Shannon! Can you hear me! LYN!!"

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Yikes! I'm so evil, I scare myself!

Hope you enjoyed it guys and gals!


	24. Found!

Hey all! I was so evil last chapter, leaving you all hanging like that. (Evil laugh) Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Oh, on a side note, I couldn't remember the make of car that Bumblebee is. All I could remember was that it's a Chevrolet. Typical case of memory block.

Disclaimer: My characters are mine. Everyone else belongs to their respective owners.

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While the battle was going, Lyn silently prayed for help to show up. Shannon was still sobbing, terrified. Jack was trying his hardest to play it cool for his team's sake, but he wasn't doing very well. Lyn needed to stay calm for all of them. She listened to the shouts of an alien language, managing to pick out some of the more...choice words, ones she'd heard Ratchet or Ironhide utter. Usually, she would find them humorous, but at the present time she couldn't find any solace in them. Shannon screamed when a bone chilling cry reached their ears, one filled with such anger and malice it seemed to freeze everything. It was quickly followed by a huge crash that shook the building again. Debris fell from the roof. _If they keep this up, we'll be buried for sure! No, got to stay calm._ She glanced at her team members. They were shaking like leaves in a wind. But she couldn't find anything that would make them feel better. Until something exploded. Shannon shrieked again, gripping the paramedic. Lyn listened to more of the alien language, grinning suddenly. She would recognise that voice anywhere. Ironhide had finally turned up.

"Guys, I say again, we're going to be alright."

"H-h-how d-do you know, Lynx?"

"Because help has arrived. I'll explain later, but right now, I need you to trust me." They nodded.

"Of course w-we trust you, Lynx. You're our team leader." She smiled, though she froze when she heard a cackle. No, it was too close to where they were. Far too close. Starscream had found them! Shannon was shaking far more violently, if it was possible. Lyn couldn't think; the terror had finally seized her mind, blocking out all rational thought. They heard the roof creak as it was leaned upon. No, he was going to cave it in! The only warning they had was the sudden shadow that was cast before the fist hit. They all screamed as it slammed into the wall, crashing through it easily. Jack recovered quickest, grabbing hold of the women and shoving them away from the collapsing wall and half of the ceiling, only just managing to dive out of the way himself.

"Jack!"Shannon grabbed his hand and pulled him under the doorway they had ducked under. It was a tight squeeze, but it was the best protection they had. They turned their faces away as the ceiling came down on the spot they had been standing only seconds ago.

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Ratchet tore at the rubble, his intakes working over time. He was steadily losing his cool. _Got to stay calm for Lyn! Stay calm, slagger! _The others stood behind, at a loss of what to do. They wanted to help, but the CMO was in no mood to be disturbed. In this state, he could, and probably would, do far more damage to them than a whole Decepticon fleet. The Twins glanced at each other and then to Bumblebee and Ironhide.

:What do we do 'Hide?:

:Yeah, you know Ratchet better than any of us. What would he want us to do?: Ironhide was speechless for once.

:I...I don't know. I don't know what we're going to do.: The medic wasn't paying any attention to them, his focus set on finding the humans. He was NOT going to lose her! He could sense them, all three of them. They were still alive, he knew they were! But how well were they? In this state, it was hard to keep focus on his sensors. They could be dying for all he knew. But he knew that they were still alive, somewhere under there. He called their name's again, forcing himself to calm down. Silence. Nothing but heavy silence. He could sense them now! They were injured, but they were alive! The other mechs watched as he activated his holoform, pulling crumbled bricks and plaster from the wreckage. He glared at them.

"What are you standing around for!? Help me!" Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were the first to activate their holoforms at the exact same time, followed by Bumblebee. They appeared at the medic's side, pulling the rubble away. Ironhide was last, finally overcoming his shock at seeing one of his oldest friends almost driven out of his mind by worry. Before everything that had happened at Mission City over the Allspark, he would have found this a waste of energy. But now he had gotten to know the humans, he found he liked them, albeit he kept it secret. He was worried about Lyn just as much as they were, he just didn't know how to show it.

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Lyn held Shannon to her. She was terrified. The paramedic looked to Jack. He was looking around nervously, trying to keep the weight off his foot. Now that everything had quietened down, she could finally check his injured leg.

"Jack, can you sit down?" He looked to her.

"Sit down! How can I sit down, Lynx?" Lyn shook her head, keeping her fears at bay.

"Trust me Jack. It's all over now." They listened to the unsteady creaking of the wooden beams that held most of the rubble. They were under tremendous strain. She gulped, taking a deep breath of dust filled air, immediately regretting it as she began coughing, leaning against the frame. The extra pressure caused it to creak and some of the rubble to collapse to the ground. It was enough to cease her coughing fit. For the moment at least.

"We're going to have to go carefully. The slightest bit of pressure in the wrong place could cause it to come down."

"Very comforting, Lynx." She was about to say something back when something caught her ears.

"Did you hear something?"

"No. You must've hit your head, you hearing things." She shushed him. Shannon listened, pulling herself away from Lyn.

"I still didn't hear anything, either Lyn." There it was again. Shouting. Someone was shouting her name!

"Ratchet!"

"Ratchet ain't here, Lynx. Just us."

"No, Jack, Ratchet's shouting us! Ratchet!! Ratchet!! We're here!" There was a rumble, as if the ceiling was going to cave in. The humans braced themselves for the crushing weight that would soon follow. And then... nothing. Instead, they were engulfed in bright sunlight, the intensity after being trapped in the dark was blinding. They covered their eyes, waiting for them to adjust.

"Lyn! Lyn!" She looked up. A figure was silhouetted against the light. She recognised the voice immediately.

"Ratchet!" All three shouted in unison. They had been saved! Praise the Lord, they had been found! They laughed in sheer delight, hugging each other. A shadow covered them as something blocked out the light. Looking up from their group hug, Shannon screamed and Jack froze. A giant, metallic hand was coming to meet them. Lyn stood facing it, smiling ecstatically.

"Relax guys. It's ok. We're safe."

"OK?! How can it be ok!?" She glanced to her, still hugging, teammates and smiled softly.

"Trust me."

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Yay! Finally! Chapter 24! Sorry for the wait guys! It's been hell trying to find the time to write this chapter up. I hope you all enjoyed it!

I'll apologise if it's not as good as what you were expecting. Hopefully it is. Thanks for reading! Remember, if you don't like what you read, let me know constructively!


	25. Safe

Hey all. Sorry for the wait. This chapter was a little more difficult to write than i first thought it would be. I'm so glad that everyone has been enjoying this story, and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has reviewed and commented on this most humble imagining of mine. Thank you all. Oh, and thanks to those who helped me out with information and pointing things out to me. Thank you for all your kind comments.

And so, without any further a due, chapter 25.

Disclaimer: i still don't own. Only Lyn, Shannon and Jack belong to me, as do any other of my own characters.

.................Change in place

''''''''''''''''Change in time

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Trust me. Those two words were sacred, not to be thrown around without regard. When spoken with conviction, those two words could calm even the most troubled of hearts. Fears could be quelled with those two words. The gravest of situations seemed to be lightened with those two words. Lyn never said those words unless she knew that everything was going to be alright. She didn't like to make false promises, agree to things that she didn't know the ending to. The moment she told you to trust her, you knew that everything was going to be alright, that she knew to some extent what was going to happen, and that she was ready for it. And when she smiled like that, the worries that plagued a person's mind diminished. This was Lyn, and she would do anything to help. And usually, both Shannon and Jack trusted her judgment, trusted her with their lives, or at least that was how it felt from time to time. But this? This was different. This was something they'd never come across before. In fact, this was something that genuinely scared the ambulance personnel. They could only watch as the paramedic stepped onto the giant hand. The move felt like it had taken hours to execute, but in reality, it was only a few seconds. They watched anxiously as she turned to them and smiled.

"Jack, Shannon. It's ok. It's over now. They're here to help. Please. Trust me." There were those two words again. They watched the hand for a second longer before each taking the paramedic's own out stretched hands. It was a bit of a tight squeeze on the palm, meaning they had to hug on to each other in order to keep from falling off. Shannon bit down on a yell as the hand moved upwards, and not a moment too soon. The rubble and wood creaked and moaned as the pile was moved and shifted, the ominous sounds becoming louder and more frightening, until finally the weight won over the supports, the debris crashing onto the spot where they had been standing only moments before. The youngest of the team buried her head into the tall man's shoulder, weeping in shock and terror. Lyn rubbed her back, slamming her eyes shut as they were assaulted by the bright late afternoon sunlight. They were gently placed back on the ground, huddled in a group, arms wrapped around each other and practically oblivious to the world around them as they finally sat down. Jack kissed the mousy haired woman's crown, hushing her as tears turned into sobs. Lyn smiled, relief washing over her as the adrenaline subsided. She felt rather tired now, actually, and more than a little achy.

"Guys, we're safe now. It's over. It's all over." Lyn looked up at their rescuers, beaming despite being covered in dust and a little more than battered and bruised. Her eyebrow rose when she caught the smug, yet relieved smile coming from a certain red Lamborghini. She smiled back, allowing herself the opportunity to take in the happenings of the day. The street looked more like a battlefield, potholes littered the tarmac, trenches had been dug into the ground and there was the faint smell of what she had come to recognise as energon hanging in the air. Shannon's whole body shook as soft tremors signalled the approach of one of the mechs. Something was said in their language and, with some protestations from the Twins, the sound of shifting metal reached the humans' ears. The youngest member cast worried glances to the paramedic as she watched with terrified eyes as the huge robotic creatures changed into normal looking cars. All but one.

"Lyn?" The medic looked up to the source of the voice.

"Ratchet. You look like slag."

"Watch your language, young lady." His optics dimmed, preceding the appearance of his holoform, which pulled a worried squeak from the woman and a gasp from the man. Lyn, against her better judgement, stood and stepped towards him. One step was all she could make, the adrenaline that had been coursing through her body while she had been drawing Starscream's attention had finally been spent, and the cut on her leg was causing her trouble. The moment she put weight onto it, her leg gave out, sending her tumbling to the ground. Behind her, Shannon cried her name as Jack tried to get up, but found that his own injuries prevented such movement. But she never hit the ground. Instead she found herself being held up in the CMO's arms, using his body as a support. He moved quickly, scooping her up into his strong arms and sitting her on the ground next to Jack. Shannon tried shuffling away from him, but the technician held her firm.

"He's not gonna hurt us Shan. He just saved our lives." Ratchet nodded to the technician and smiled in thanks as he scanned their bodies simultaneously. Jack's leg was badly bruised and the muscle had been pulled, but other than that he was fine. Shannon was shaken but uninjured. But Lyn's leg was cut badly and, although it had been effective at the time, her makeshift bandage wasn't enough.

"I'm going to need to sort this out. How are you feeling Lyn?"

"A little groggy and tired, but hey, that could be from running practically half way across the state."

"You over exaggerate."

"I know. It sure as hell felt like it though." The CMO allowed himself a small smile as he worked on Lyn's leg, raising it and pulling a fresh bandage out of subspace.

"I'll be able to do more when we get back to the base." Shannon's breath hitched and she appeared to turn very pale. Her rise in stress levels did not go unnoticed. Ratchet cast his attention to her for a moment before turning back to his task.

"B-base? You mean...there are more of you?!" He sighed, tying off the bandage and proceeding to bandage the paramedic's wrist.

"Yes, there are. I thought you were going to talk to them, Lyn?" All eyes turned to the injured medic.

"I was, but you know, being chased down the street by a giant alien robot who's gunning for your blood kinda makes you forget about that."

"Wait, hold up. You mean..."

"Yeah, Jack. I knew. And this is what I was trying to talk to you about. Do you see now why I couldn't tell you?" Silence. Ratchet conducted one last scan on her before moving on to attend to any other injuries that he had missed. Lyn turned to her team mates. They were in shock, that much was obvious. Shannon looked about ready to faint. Jack simply couldn't keep his eyes off the holoform he had thought so many times was human.

"Sure had me fooled." The CMO smiled slightly, standing once again and helping them onto their feet. "So...wow, this is awkward."

"To be honest with you, I thought you may be a little more...surprised than this."

"Yeah well, give it time to actually sink in. I'll probably freak tomorrow. Shannon?" Acting fast, the technician caught the crumbling woman as she tumbled to the ground, the shock finally getting the better of her. Ratchet disappeared, the giant robot's optics brightening. The sound of grating metal was beginning to become less shocking for the technician now, but the disappearance and subsequent reappearance of the CMO was a little harder to get to grips with. The holoform took the unconscious woman from the man, laying her gently onto the stretcher bed in the back of the ambulance in front of them.

"It would be best to take you all to base, for safety. You know of us now, and we have yet to realise what sort of danger you could be in. And it will give you both a chance to meet the rest of the team." Jack looked to the paramedic, who smiled and nodded.

"Ok. Because Lynx trusts you, and I trust her, I'll come with you. I just hope you're ready for the screams when Shan wakes up."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. We've been through that roll call already, haven't we Lyn?" The medic smiled sheepishly, her cheeks flushing a pale pink.

"Well, the sight of giant robots when you first wake up isn't exactly the most comforting thing in the world, especially when one had nearly crushed you." Jack looked to her, eyes widening.

"What?"

"Long story. I'll fill you both in when we get to the base." The technician pulled himself up into the back of the ambulance, wincing as the pain shot through his leg.

"Do you want something for the pain?"

"Nah, it'll be fine." Ratchet nodded, before turning to the medic. She nodded, already limping towards the front of the robot's alt mode. Shaking his head, he closed his doors, the hologram disappearing from view. Now, the CMO could turn his attention back to the woman he had fallen for. She was struggling to pull herself up into the cab. Taking hold of her waist, he gently helped her up and into the seat. She was exhausted and about ready to drop off to sleep.

"Lyn, are you alright?" Her eyes opened a crack, green eyes meeting bright blue.

"I will be, Ratch. I just need some rest and maybe a few days R and R." The medic nodded, closing the door and vanishing, only to reappear in the driver's seat. Turning to the Paramedic, he smiled softly as she slept, stroking a hand through her now tattered and dusty hair. She stirred, nuzzling his hand and falling back to sleep.

"You had me worried, Lynx. I'm just glad you're safe." Starting his engine and keeping a sensor on each of his passengers, he set off for the long journey back to base.

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Finally! I'm so very sorry about the wait guys. I've recently started work and haven't really found the time to write this, or any other of my fics for that matter. I hope you enjoyed it!

Peace!


	26. Return to base

Hey all! I'm really sorry for the wait; I've recently started a new job, so `I haven't had time to update. Hope you're all still enjoying the story.

Disclaimer: I own only Lyn and her team. The Autobots and Decepticons belong rightly to Hasbro.

,,,,,,,,,,, Change in time

...Change in place

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The ride back was long. Too long. Especially for the younger woman who sat with her knees pulled to her chest on the bed. The flooring rumbled underneath as the vehicle moved onto rougher ground. No, not a vehicle. It wasn't a vehicle. When she'd come round, she hoped and prayed that it was all a bad dream, a nightmare that would disappear from all existence the moment she woke up. No such luck. She had begun to panic, begun screaming and shouting when she'd heard the voice asking how she felt. If it hadn't been for Jack taking hold of her, she would have rammed her way out of the ambulance on to the road, and to an unforeseeable but easily imaginable fate. Now, all she could do was sit, staring blankly at the white walls of the interior of the vehicle, silent thoughts racing through her mind, serving only to heighten her already uneasy state. How could Lyn trust this...this...thing! It wasn't even human! How could they all have trusted it? How could they have never suspected, even for a second, that Doctor Ratchet wasn't even human?

"Shan. You ok?" She jumped at the sound of the voice, looking over to the technician. She looked down, scared eyes wide.

"I...I... No, I'm not." She sighed, shuffling up the stretcher bed as Jack swung himself over to sit next to her. Almost unconsciously, Shannon leaned against his shoulder, the technician being able to do nothing more than pull her into a soothing embrace.

"It'll be ok."

"How can you say that? Have you seen where we are!"

"Shannon, calm down and listen to me."

"No! I won't!"

"Shannon, please."

"I mean, we trusted him! Trusted _him_! And all along he was one of those...those..._things_!" The atmosphere seemed to tense around them. Jack dropped his voice, suddenly aware that their conversation could be heard. Not that it would make very much of a difference.

"Shannon, listen sweetheart. We're riding inside him. He saved our lives." Shannon pulled away from him, fire in her eyes suddenly igniting.

"That means nothing! I don't trust him." Jack looked to her, smoky brown eyes softening.

"Lyn trusts him." The assistant fell silent. That was true. Lyn not only trusted him, she loved him. She sighed, slumping back against him, suddenly exhausted. It had been a long, terrifying day, and now all she wanted to do was sleep.

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"Lyn. Lyn. Wake up, we're here." The paramedic started, wiping her eyes. She looked down from her position inside the cab of the ambulance to the speaker. Bright blue eyes met her blurry green ones. A weary smile spread across her face.

"Hey Ratch. We're here already? How are the others?" The CMO chuckled.

"They're ok. Shannon is going to take some time to get used to us. Jack is ok, though still a little shaky." Lyn nodded, eyes drooping.

"They'll be ok. Just have to give them time." She closed her eyes again, threatening to go back to sleep. Ratchet chuckled, unbuckling her belt and lifting her from the comfortable seat. She squeaked a little in shock, throwing her arms around his neck. A pout formed on her face.

"Ratch! I was comfy there!" The CMO laughed at the indignant look on her face.

"Indignation is not an attractive quality on you." The expression fell into a weary glaze.

"Too tired to argue back." Her head fell against the holoform's shoulder. Ratchet chuckled, shaking her shoulders slightly.

"Lyn, wake up, I need to set you down." The paramedic buried her head into his shoulder, a mumbled denial reaching the holoform's ears. Ratchet sighed. Without warning, he dropped her legs, earning a yelp from the woman as her feet hit the ground.

"Ratchet! A little warning next time!" Leaving go of the CMO, Lyn brushed her mucky uniform down and flashing the man an indignant scowl. Ratchet smiled before turning to the back of the ambulance.

"So, where are Jack and Shannon?"

"They're still inside. Under the circumstances, it may be wise if you bring them out." Lyn looked to him and nodded. If she knew Shannon, the younger woman would have been giving the poor mech quite a hard time. In fact, she was surprised the mech's audio receptors were still operational. Inhaling deeply, Lyn made her way to the back of the vehicle. The doors popped open, allowing her entrance. She smiled softly at the sight before her. Jack's head had lolled back, resting against the interior wall, eyes closed and mouth hanging open slightly. His left arm hung loosely over the shoulders of the young assistant, her head laid against his chest, her body curled up next to him. They were exhausted. Lyn felt guilty for waking them, but she knew she had no choice. Flashing a smile to the CMO, she grasped the handles and pulled herself up into the back. The holoform watched as she disappeared, sensors trained on the inside. He heard the muffled sounds as the two woke up, sensed the sudden peak in adrenaline from the female, and braced himself for the screaming...again. Absently, he rubbed his ear. His sensitive receptors were still ringing. Initial scans had shown no permanent damage, but he felt the need to run a full diagnostic, just to be sure. But that could wait. Right now, more pressing matters were revealing themselves. Looking over his own chassis showed the terrible dents and rips courtesy of the Decepticon's claws, easily seen from the outside. That would explain the strange looks he'd received from the civilians on the outside. They weren't life threatening, thankfully, as many of the main fuel lines had just been missed. It was still painful as the Pit, though. And, he knew, there would be more work for him the moment they entered the med bay. All the mechs involved in the battle bore injuries, though none of them were critical. Welding jobs, mainly. But first, he would have to patch himself up. After all, no one wanted to be treated by an injured medic. He sighed a little as he watched the three humans exit his interior. Jack was the first out, easing himself down onto the flooring, looking around his new surroundings. High walls of thick concrete and metal held up the concrete ceiling. The walls remained unchanged down the long corridors to either side of him. Turning, his eyes fell upon a giant metal door, one that seemed to have been newly replaced. He turned back to the ambulance, hobbling closer to the doors, offering a hand to the shaky assistant.

"Shan, you've gotta see this place. It's amazing." Shannon looked to him, keeping her eyes trained solely on the man. She didn't want to accept everything just yet. Jack led her a little way back from the ambulance, watching as Lyn lowered herself down to the ground. She looked over to the waiting holoform and smiled. Patting her teammates, she limped towards the holoform, standing next to him.

"Wow. Screamer really did do a number on you, didn't he?" Ratchet simply chuckled.

"Nothing I can't fix."

"You mean you and Wheeljack can't fix." Ratchet glanced at her. "C'mon Ratch, there's no way you can work on those injuries alone. You know that." He smiled, unable to help himself.

"Yes boss." She slapped his arm playfully, grinning.

"And don't you forget it." He chuckled, looping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. Lyn leaned in with no argument, unaware of their audience. Shannon glanced at Jack and then back to the couple, and, in spite of herself, smiled. Jack grinned.

"No two ways about it Shan. They make a cute couple. Even if he _is_ a giant alien robot from outer space." The younger woman nodded, starting when a voice called from behind them. Spinning, she visibly relaxed when she saw an older man running towards them. Wait...another human? The man glanced at them as he went past, continuing on to his primary object. Lyn raised her head and let go of the holoform as Will came over to her, concern etched into his features.

"Lyn, Ironhide told me what happened. Are you alright?" Completely ignoring the CMO, he pulled her into an embrace of his own.

"Yeah, I'm fine Will. Honest. Just a little bruised and battered." He pulled away, grasping her shoulders. He shook his head, pulling her back in.

"Just like your old man." The medic smiled a little.

"Yeah, I know. Look, Will, I need to get myself sorted out." He let go of her, his eyes gleaming in a solemn amusement. Lyn smiled back.

"What are we gonna do with you?"

"I know something you can do _for_ me. See those two over there?" He glanced back.

"Yeah, I was going to ask about them. Who are they?"

"They're my team. I need you to take them to get cleaned up. They're still too shaken up to have an Autobot tour guide, so to speak." Lennox nodded.

"Yeah. I hear you." He smiled, walking towards her teammates. She watched as he led them away, glances sent back towards the two left behind. Ratchet looked to the woman and smiled.

"So, it would appear we are alone." Lyn smiled, turning to him.

"Yes. Now, let's get you sorted out." The CMO seemed to slouch a little, earning a giggle from the woman. Rolling her eyes, she hooked her arms around the CMO's neck, and leaned in, allowing him to capture her lips in his. After a few moments, they pulled apart, simply embracing.

"By the way, thanks for saving our lives." Ratchet stroked his hand over her back, simply nodding. Kissing her head, Ratchet dropped his arms.

"I think we had both best get patched up." The holoform disappeared and, with a grating of gears and metal that sound quite painful and stressed, the ambulance stood up, lowering his hand and allowing her to clamber onto his palm. His joints seemed to strain as he stood himself up once again, the only evidence to his pain being the brief flash of his optics. Posture regained, he made towards the doors Lyn recognised as being the entrance point of the Med bay, entering and allowing them to close behind him.

* * *

Finally! This was actually quite a difficult chapter to write. Thank you all for being so patient.


	27. Tour

Good grief! How long has it been since I last updated this? Too long, that's how long. Damnable writer's block! Hope this chapter lives up to expectations! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: No own. If I did, Ironhide wouldn't have died in the newest movie. Sunstreaker would be in by now, and Sideswipe would be red. 'Nuff said.

"Talking"

_Thinking_

* * *

They walked in silence, listening to the strange sounds of technology buzzing and humming around them. Shannon pressed herself closer to Jack, feeling some comfort in the knowledge that she wasn't alone. They'd only been walking for a couple of minutes, but to her it felt longer. Their guide was walking slightly in front, easily navigating the unnaturally large corridors, a practiced ease in his step. The young woman glanced nervously at the technician, trying to read his expression. He simply seemed oblivious to the strange area around them, the new sights and sounds. She envied him his easy going nature, his natural ability to mix with practically anyone he met. But did that stretch to giant alien robots that could easily step on them? She shuddered before she could repress the urge, catching Jack's attention. He nudged her with his shoulder, smiling warmly. Shannon found herself returning the smile, leaning into him as they walked. It was then that Will decided to introduce himself properly.

"So, you're Lynx's team, huh? Jack Monroe and Shannon Taylor?" He slowed to walk next to them. Jack grinned, throwing his arm casually around the woman's shoulders and offering Will his hand.

"The very same. And you must be Captain Lennox?" Will smiled, taking the man's hand in a hearty shake.

"Just got promoted. Major William Lennox, Special Ops. But that's for officers. Call me Will."

"Very nice to meet you Will. Just call me Jack." Will smiled.

"Will do. So, you met the big guys then huh? You seem to be taking it pretty well." He caught the blush that suddenly crossed the young woman's face, smiling knowingly.

"Give it time for me. Don't think it's quite sunk in yet. I'll probably be running around the immediate vicinity waving my hands around tomorrow. Hopefully Shan has got it out of her system." He grinned mischievously as her blush only deepened.

"Ah. Say no more." Will winked at the woman playfully. "Though, if what ol' 'Hide has told me is true, Lynx gave them a pretty hard time. Apparently she had Ratch backed in a corner from her scream." He laughed. "Then again, I do sometimes doubt the words that the big lug says sometimes."

"Hide?" Shannon's voice was barely above a squeak, until she coughed and tried again. "Who's Hide?"

"Oh right, not formally introduced. Ironhide is the big black one. Likes his weapons and blowing stuff up. He's the formal guardian of me and my family."

"Oh, right." She fell silent again, preferring to watch her thoughts whizz by in her mind, letting the men talk. She remembered the giant black behemoth from earlier in the day. She shivered. How close had they come to death? Too close. Far too close. Lyn had been so brave taking on that silver robot. Her mind wandered to their team leader. How was she? She'd looked exhausted when they finally came to a stop and in pain from her leg. Then there was the ambulance...Ratchet. Doctor Ratchet. How could they have been fooled so easily?

_Advanced robots, dummy. _She sighed quietly, feeling very tired and altogether drained. Today had simply been far too much for the young woman. It was way too much to take in. She found herself wishing that she was back at work with her teammates, blissfully unaware that were giant robots hiding in their midst. How was she supposed to live her life normally now? How was she supposed to go back to her job, and just get on with it? Or weren't they supposed to go back? Were they staying here, for good? Lyn had gone back to work, though she did have Ratchet with her pretty much all the time. And what was that about Guardians? Would they be assigned giant robots to watch their every move? She cringed. She didn't want some 20 foot giant robot constantly breathing down her neck! _Calm down, Shannon. Calm down. _She started at the squeeze on her shoulder, looking up into the concerned eyes of the technician.

"Shan, you alright?" She gulped in a breath, willing herself to relax, nodding. She smiled, the expression not quite reaching her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just got a bit freaked that's all." Will chuckled.

"Yeah, it gets ya sometime. I remember after the attack on Mission City, I'd jump out of bed shouting about giant aliens in my backyard. The missus didn't appreciate it very much." He laughed at the memory. "That wasn't my first encounter with the big guys, though. But that's a story for another time. Here we are." The two newcomers looked to the door they were suddenly standing in front of. The sound of chatter echoed from somewhere nearby, laughter splitting the air every now and then. Will glanced down the corridor, shaking his head at something.

"You'll get used to the noise eventually. C'mon, I'll show you around or area." He pushed the door open, allowing them entrance. Immediately, the chatter and noise died down as the door closed behind them. Jack whistled as he looked around.

"Big enough."

"Yeah. This was the only human sized area in the whole base, so we went with it. Make yourselves at home. The showers are at the back, bunks are through door on you right. We'll have to find you some more clothes for you, but don't worry about it right now. Just make yourselves comfy. I gotta head off and report to the Commander, then I'm gonna go and drop in on Lyn and Ratch. I'll call for you if like."

"Yeah, please. I'd like to know how she's doing."

"Right. I'll be about an hour or so. Just kick back and relax for a bit." With one final grin, he exited the room, leaving the two in the vast expanse that were their quarters. Jack made his way to the sofa, flopping down. He winced as his leg pulled a little, the pain effectively reminding him of the bruise.

"Gotta remember that." He looked to the woman hovering by the exit. "Shan, c'mon. Sit down for a bit. We'll get sorted out soon." She made her way over to him, sitting down more gracefully. She was still tense, about ready to bolt at any moment, her dusty blue eyes staring off into space.

"Shan? You ok?" She merely nodded; pausing for a moment, then shook her head.

"Not really. I still can't believe any of this. It feels like some kind of wacked out, crazy dream that I'm having trouble waking up from." Jack laughed.

"Then we must be having the same dream." She turned to him.

"How can you be so casual about this?" He shrugged.

"The way I see it, there's no point in fretting over it. They're here. We know about them. We're inside their base. If they meant us any harm, don't you think we would've known about it by now?" Shannon sighed, sagging.

"I suppose. But..." Jack cut her off again.

"You know what else?" She glanced at him. "Lyn trusts 'em." That was true. No matter which way it was sliced, Lyn trusted them. Implicitly. She had even fallen for one, though if Shannon was honest, it wasn't hard to see why. The man they knew as Dr Ratchet was absolutely gorgeous. Bright blue eyes, spiked brown hair, nicely toned body. The guy was amazing. But he was also a lie; a fabrication created by the giant mechanoid to prevent prying eyes from discovering his true self. Yet, Lyn knew that. She knew that he wasn't real, and she still fell for him. And he for her. It was so easy to see. They worked well together. Sure they weren't of the same species, but still. Lyn was happy. That's what mattered to her. Shannon looked to the technician next to her, a brand new light in her eyes; a new resolve, a new acceptance. He grinned, once again catching her in a one armed embrace and pulled her close. She didn't fight it, allowing herself to fall into him. Snuggling as close as she could, she sighed in contentment, wrinkling her nose at the smell of dust and grime and sweat.

"You could really use a shower." He laughed in her ear.

"You're not exactly much better yourself." She slapped his arm, earning a laugh. Lifting her head ever so slightly, she gazed at him before resting her head on his shoulder.

"Jack?"

"Hm?"

"Things are going to work out, aren't they? I mean, our lives, these guys...us?" Jack pulled away, catching her eyes. Something seemed to fit into place for them both; maybe it was the stress of the day, or the fact that they had nearly lost their lives, but he was seeing the younger woman in a different way. Different from the close friendship they had formed over the time they had worked together. It felt warm, comfortable. He smiled, resting back again, pulling her with him. She moved closer, resting her head on the back of the sofa, level with him. Their gazes locked again, their faces closer than the last time they remembered. Mere inches separated them, neither wanting to break the moment.

"Yeah, Shan. I think we're thing's are gonna work out just fine." She smiled, pressing forward. Jack met her without hesitation, lips finding each other. It was soft, chaste, but passion burned behind it. They lost themselves in the moment, ignoring all else around them as their kiss deepened. So lost in each other were they, that they didn't notice the door open, nor did they notice their guide enter and then leave. They had each other, their unnoticed feelings reciprocated by the other. Finally.

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Yes! Finally I have the chapter up! I hope this is the end of that bout of writer's block! Thanks everyone for your patience. I'm glad you're all still enjoying it.


	28. heart to heart

Hey all! Hope everyone is still enjoying the story. I know it's been a while since I last updated.

"Talking"

_Thinking _

Disclaimer: Only my characters belong to me.

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Lyn sat against the wall of the med bay, having washed and changed her clothes (she'd decided that throwing them out was the best option), and watched Wheeljack as he worked, trying not to laugh whenever the injured CMO barked an order at the engineer, smiling at his outbursts and profanities. There really was no worse patient than a doctor. After the medic had sutured her leg and covered it with a dressing and bandage, it had taken Wheeljack most of his time just to get Ratchet to sit on the berth he occupied at the moment, never mind keeping him there when there were other mechs to repair. No matter how superficial their injuries were, nor that only two of them remained.

"Look, I'm fine. My self-repair systems will sort out the rest. I have patients to see to."

"They're fine, Ratchet. First Aid and Hoist can handle them. Now hold still. I have to sort out this tear." He activated the welder, slowly and carefully going over the largest of Ratchet's wounds; the tear across his chest. The CMO sighed in exasperation, about ready to snatch the instrument off the mech. His slight jostle caused the welder to slip slightly, catching the edge of the wound.

"Gah! Wheeljack! Weld straight for Primus' sake!"

"Well, if you held still, I wouldn't slip, would I?" His head fins flashed a light blue in amusement at his friend's grumble. Lyn chuckled, shifting her position slightly and shaking her head at the medic's predicament. He snarled something in his native language at the engineer, earning a digit wagging in his face and something said in the same tongue, and rather sternly. The paramedic saw the glower in the CMO's optics, the silent scowl that he sent to the scientist, and decided it was time to try and calm him down. Pushing herself up and on to her feet, she hissed at the telltale pull of the fresh stitches under her dressing. She hobbled, catching Ratchet's attention.

"Lyn, what are you doing? You should be resting." She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry Ratchet, but this time you don't get to give the orders. Not until Wheeljack has sorted you out." A look of disbelief crossed his faceplates.

"Excuse me? This is MY med bay, and you're telling me I don't get to give the orders?" He shifted, earning himself a nudge from the scientist. Lyn planted her hands on her hips, ignoring the strain from her leg.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. While you're on that berth, you're a patient. Patients don't give the orders. You know that." He grumbled something under his intakes, just low enough for her not to hear. She sighed. "Ratch, please. Just for once, relinquish authority, huh? Let Wheeljack and the others handle it."

"Lyn..."

"For me?" She purposefully widened her eyes, giving him the best puppy-dog look she could muster. It very rarely worked, on anyone, but it never hurt to try.

"Lyn Xanders, you know for a fact that that expression never works on me. I'm used to it off that one." He tossed a thumb over his shoulder at the oblivious, waiting Bumblebee.

"Can't blame a gal for trying. C'mon Ratch, it's only this once. Then you can go back to growling and yelling at everyone. Ok?" He let out an explosive sigh, finally nodding once. Lyn grinned at her small victory, going back to her resting spot and watching the happenings. She could still hear the CMO grumbling at the inventor, this time in their own language, and was pretty sure that the medic was still trying to tell Wheeljack how to take care of the wounds. Sighing, she straightened her leg out in front of her. The cut was going to leave a wonderful scar. _Well, it'll be something to tell the guys back at MCH. _She sighed a little as the minutes ticked by, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep where she was, but refusing to. Her mind was still busily running over the happenings of the day. She shuddered. How close had they come to death that day? And all because she had to act on impulse instead of thinking first? She sighed again, letting her head fall back against the wall. She'd nearly lost her team. She'd nearly lost her life. She'd nearly lost so much. Her eyes stung as a thin film of tears began to build. Shaking her head, she angrily pushed the thoughts away. _Not now Lyn! There'll be plenty of time for that later!_ Pushing herself awkwardly to her feet, she took a deep breath and mustered every ounce of self control she had, trying to block the feelings out. Clearing her throat, she turned to the berth. Wheeljack had finally finished with the cranky CMO and was clearing up. Ratchet was obviously fighting with himself to stay put, knowing that too much movement would reopen the fresh welds. She smiled softly before finally breaking the almost-silence that had descended upon the medical bay.

"Jack, Ratch, I'm just going to take a walk. I've been sitting too long and I need to do something." Wheeljack turned and nodded, going back to his job. Ratchet, on the other hand, propped himself up on his elbows, inspecting her with a critical optic.

"Is there something wrong, Lyn?" She shook her head, knowing full well that there was really no way she could hide anything from the medic.

"No, just restless. That's all. I'm going to find Jack and Shannon and make sure they haven't collapsed somewhere. And don't worry, Ratchet, I won't go overworking my leg. I know the stitches need time to heal, and I know that they can't stand up to too much strain at the moment. I am a medic." His mouth snapped shut, the words taken before they could even form. She grinned and winked before turning to the exit. The CMO watched her leave, collapsing back on the berth and glaring heatedly at the smirking engineer.

"Beat you to the punch, huh?" His head fins flashed an amused blue.

"Wheeljack?"

"Yes, Ratch?"

"Shut up."

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The corridors were quite peaceful now, well, as peaceful as they could be with giant robots milling around. Making sure to stay over to the side, Lyn made her way to the human quarters. Perhaps, if they had settled down now, she could introduce her teammates to the rest of the crew. There were quite a few here that she was sure they would get on with quite easily. Lost in her thoughts, she almost didn't notice the approach of a certain human until he was all but in front of her. She snapped from her reverie when he called her name.

"Lynx? I was just coming to get you."

"Hey Will. Why? What's up?" It was only then that she noticed the grin. "What?"

"You aren't looking for your team by any chance, are you?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I am. Where did you leave them?" She smirked at the mischievous glint forming in the soldier's eyes. "Will?"

"They're in the quarters, just like you requested. I'd just give them some time alone at the moment."

"Why?" He grinned again, casually throwing his arm over her shoulders.

"Let's just say they're getting cosy and leave it at that, huh?" Lyn suddenly flushed.

"You don't mean they're...you know." He laughed.

"Nah, at least they weren't when I found them."

"Found them?" Will shrugged.

"Yeah, I had to report to Optimus and meet some new guy who wants to act as liaison between the big guys and the government. Bit of a stiff if you ask me. You won't like him."

"Oh goodie." She rolled her eyes and sighed. Another Dylan from the sounds of it. She caught the glance he'd sent her.

"What?" He simply shook his head.

"I still can't believe you went up against Screamer. Of all the Decepticons, you had to pick Starscream."

"Hey, it's not like I had a choice in the matter. If I hadn't done something, he would have levelled the hospital. I couldn't have that. Besides, it's not like I was alone."

"From what I've been told, you pretty much were. Running off without any sort of a plan or backup? That was a pretty risky stunt, Lyn Xanders." She bowed her head, sighing.

"Yeah, I know. I'm beginning to regret it now." He stopped, halting her as he did so.

"Lyn, look at me." She did so, blinking away the tears that were beginning to form once again. "There's no need to regret it now. It worked out."

"I nearly got my team killed, Will. I acted without thinking, and I nearly paid the ultimate price for it." She sniffed, wiping at her eyes before letting out a humourless laugh. "See what happens when I act on impulse?" He smiled, pulling her into a hug. She returned it readily, still fighting off the tears.

"Lyn, you know what I think? I think you're a hero." She snorted. "No, hear me out. You made a pretty stupid decision, let's face it. But you saw it through. And you did it for all the right reasons." She couldn't meet his eyes.

"Will, I'm not a hero. I'm a paramedic. Saving life and helping is something that I do every day. I'm not a hero because of that. And I'm not a hero for making a rash decision that nearly got me killed." She wiped at her eyes again, sighing heavily. Clearing her throat, Lyn straightened up and flashed him a smile. "Anyway, let's leave it for now. I just want to find my teammates and, if they're up for it, take them around to meet the others." Will smiled and nodded, letting go of the younger woman. They walked the rest of the way in relative silence, simply content to enjoy the others company.

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This took so long to write! Grr. Anyway, there it is. Con. Crit is welcome as always!


	29. Relaxed

Hello everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to upload, well, anything really. I've been struck down with a monumental lack of inspiration and writer's block. That, coupled with my computer deciding to go on the blink. Sigh. I'm really hoping that this may be the signal that I'm getting back into the swing of things, but I'm not going to make any promises.

I apologise now if this doesn't live up to expectation, hopefully it will.

Disclaimer: I only own Lyn and her team. Everything else belongs to their respective owners.

. . . . .Change in time

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Lyn grinned as she leaned against the doorframe. Will was right, they were getting cosy. Both of her teammates were currently resting, each hugging onto the other as if they were a lifeline. That was probably pretty close to the truth. She turned to the major with a smile.

"Seems I m going to have my work cut out separating these two. Got any crowbars handy?" He laughed.

"You need talk, especially when you re with the Doc." She fixed him with a withering glare, one he was sure she d picked up from the CMO. He couldn t help but notice the underlying humour in her eyes, though. He grinned, pulling her into a one armed embrace. He glanced at his watch.

"That the time already? Listen Lyn, I've gotta get going. I'm expected at a meeting with the higher-ups. And I have to meet that guy again." He rolled his eyes, already looking bored.

"Again? What is it this time?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Something about putting together an organisation or something. I'll let you know when I know. You'll probably be expected along at some point, anyway."

"Me? Why me?" She folded her arms and cast him an inquisitive gaze.

"You're involved now. As are those two. Listen, I can't really say anything more than that. I'll see you later, ok?" She sighed and nodded. Sometimes she really hated how secretive they had to be, even around one another. He turned and began to walk away.

"Take care Will." He turned and winked.

"Take care of you. And those two. And you know who. Don't do anything I wouldn't." She laughed at the mischievous glint in his brown eyes.

"Not a lot then." He smirked and waved before turning the corner and out of sight. With a sigh, Lyn turned back to her snuggling teammates and smiled softly. Mind made up, she straightened and entered the room properly, letting the door close behind her.

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At first, Jack didn't notice anything except the woman pressing herself into his side. He smiled down at her, tightening his hold. She sighed and snuggled in further, muttering something in her sleep. A chuckle caught his attention. Snapping his head around, he relaxed when he saw the paramedic sitting in a chair across from them, now looking clean and fresh. He glanced down at himself and then to Shannon. They really needed to wash and change. He sighed, looking back up at Lyn. He simply smiled at her grin.

"Hey Lynx."

"Hey yourself. You two look comfy there." He allowed himself a slightly smug smile, looking back at the assistant.

"Yup, I'd say we were." Lyn winked, before sobering slightly.

"How's the leg?" He shrugged.

"Aching like a good'un. But, I've had worse." She nodded. That was true. She remembered a time when they were first put together as a team, when the patient they were called to suddenly and unexpectedly turned nasty. She still couldn't piece together everything that had happened on that particular call, but she knew that Jack had been hurt. Where the guy got the knife from, she didn't know. She remembered the stab wound to the technician's leg, the amount of blood that came from it. It was also the first time Shannon had panicked. She sighed and shoved the memory back down. She smiled softly, turning her attention to the younger woman.

"What about Shannon?" Both were unaware at that point that the subject of their conversation was currently coming around. Her voice was a little groggy, but clear enough to be heard.

"Shannon's still a little shaken." Lyn watched as the assistant pushed herself up until she was sitting straight. "But I am ready to accept that there's something going on that's bigger than all of us put together." Lyn smiled sympathetically. Shannon looked exhausted as she leaned forwards and rubbed her face with her hands. But, as exhausted as she was, Lyn saw the small fire of determination beginning to kindle in the younger woman's light blue eyes. The sympathetic smile transformed into one of pride.

"'Atta girl, Shan." Shannon offered a weak smile to the paramedic. Jack rubbed her shoulder, causing a small blush to spread across the young woman's pale cheeks. Lyn's eyes twinkled knowingly, leaning forward.

"So, am I correct in assuming that you two are now more than just good friends?" Jack and Shannon shared a glance. The silence was all the answer Lyn needed. She leaned back, folding her arms, a playfully stern look crossing her features.

"Well, I have only one thing to say about that." Shannon looked suddenly worried. Lyn wasn't going to disapprove, was she? She wouldn't, it would make her something of a hypocrite, something Shannon knew Lyn wasn't. But still...A glance at Jack's calm expression was enough to steady her nerves. Lyn suddenly broke into a laugh, taking her by surprise. Springing from her seat, and wincing slightly at the pull of the stitches in her leg, she grabbed her teammates shoulders and pulled them into a hug, one they returned.

"It's about bloody time guys!"

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After a good long shower and change of clothes, the two members of Lyn's team felt as good as new, all aches and pains considered. Lyn grinned as she watched the two. She wondered if they were aware that they were steadily moving closer to each other. It was good that they were much more relaxed now, though she wondered how long it would last. They couldn't stay in here for ever. She sighed, cocking her head slightly. Jack noticed the shift in the paramedic's position.

"What's up lil' lady?" She smiled at the almost playful tone of his voice.

"Guys, how do you feel about meeting the 'bots?" Shannon's head perked up, a spark of fear flashing across her eyes.

"What? Now?"

"No time like the present." She cast a glance at Jack. He squeezed her shoulder. Lyn sighed.

"Listen, I know it's kinda soon, but it's best to get it over with now. And seriously, there are 'bots here that you two are just gonna love." Shannon drew in a shuddery breath. With a mighty exhale, she slumped and nodded. Jack nudged her a little and grinned.

"Can't wait to meet 'em, Lynx." Lyn smiled and nodded.

"That's great guys. C'mon, I know exactly where they'll all be." She opened the door and turned to her team, waiting patiently. Sharing a glance, Jack and Shannon followed.

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Ok, Chapter 29 finally done! Sorry about the wait guys! Constructive criticism is, as always, welcomed.


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